Oscar set to resume boxing career

Dean Juipe

Friday, March 23, 2001 | 10:50 a.m.

It's easier said than done, of course, but Oscar De La Hoya believes he would avenge his earlier losses to Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley if given the chance.

De La Hoya, who is fighting Arturo Gatti Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, blames his two defeats on improper training and instruction. Having switched trainers -- from Robert Alcazar to Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- since resuming his boxing career this year, De La Hoya says he has taken his game to a higher level.

He's feeling invincible.

"I'm better than ever," De La Hoya said. "It doesn't seem as if I've been away from boxing for eight months. I'm throwing punches from a lot of angles and I'm throwing a lot of punches with a great deal of force.

"You'll see. My punch count will be much higher than it was in the fights with Trinidad and Mosley."

Those losses dropped De La Hoya's record to 32-2 with 26 knockouts. They also took some of the luster off of the Golden Boy's stellar career.

But he says he would win the rematches, if either one ever comes about.

"He did great against a fighter who just stood there," De La Hoya said of Mosley's performance two weeks ago at Caesars Palace with Shannan Taylor. "But I see a lot of defects with Shane.

"I'd like to fight him again and put a stop to him being called the best fighter in the world."

Likewise, De La Hoya says he would get the best of Trinidad if they fought again.

"He can be beat easily -- no problem," De La Hoya said. "The second time around I have no doubt I'd knock him out."

So why didn't he flatten Trinidad the first time? "The corner I had told me to keep on boxing him," De La Hoya replied, shifting the blame to Alcazar.

Alcazar was swept off De La Hoya's team, as was promoter Bob Arum, in favor of Mayweather Sr. and Jerry Perenchio.

"We communicate very well," Mayweather said of his relationship with the former Olympic gold medalist and four-weight pro champion. "He's showing a lot of progress."

De La Hoya, 28, says he feels exchanging Arum for Perenchio will also up his visibility -- although that remains to be seen.

"I'll have more exposure and more control," De La Hoya said. "I felt strongly that I had to step up (and replace Arum). We never got accurate (pay-per-view) numbers from him.

"I guess I was a bit naive."

Saturday's fight with the 33-4 Gatti will be televised by HBO and will be followed in June by a De La Hoya vs. Javier Castillejo fight for the World Boxing Council's junior middleweight championship. De La Hoya may not be back on pay-per-view until what he says will be a "big fight" in September.

De La Hoya has been training at his residence in Big Bear, Calif., although he arrived in Las Vegas late Sunday. Julio Garcia, Antonio Diaz and Oba Carr served as his sparring partners while in California.

"No doubt I'm going to fight everybody out there," De La Hoya said, perhaps optimistically given that he's headed out of Mosley's weight class and Trinidad has already jumped to 160. "I have to make boxing history."

As for his dalliances at music history, De La Hoya says his recording career -- which debuted with a CD last fall -- is on hold.

"Boxing doesn't last long for the athlete," he said. "I want to focus on boxing for the next two years."