Columnist Dean Juipe: Mosley planning for rematch with Oscar

Dean Juipe

Thursday, July 11, 2002 | 10:22 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Shane Mosley said it as if it were a matter of fact.

"After this, I'm going to fight Oscar De La Hoya in February," Mosley remarked this week while promoting his July 20 welterweight title fight with Vernon Forrest in Indianapolis.

Yet a Mosley vs. De La Hoya fight, which would be a rematch of one held two years ago in Los Angeles, hasn't even been discussed according to representatives of Top Rank, which promotes De La Hoya.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is vacationing in France through the end of the month and his right-hand man, Todd duBoef, had no information Wednesday on the prospects of Mosley-De La Hoya II.

Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels added that the firm had been targeting Felix Trinidad as an opponent for De La Hoya early next year, though Trinidad said two weeks ago he has retired.

De La Hoya is fighting fellow junior middleweight champion Fernando Vargas Sept. 14 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Mosley said the fight with Forrest will be his final one at 147 pounds regardless of the outcome and he will move to 154 immediately afterward.

Mosley defeated De La Hoya by decision June 17, 2000, at the Staples Center.

World Boxing Association super middleweight champ Byron Mitchell has been added to the July 27 John Ruiz vs. Kirk Johnson card at Mandalay Bay. Mitchell will face Julio Cesar Green. ... Ex-heavyweight champ Oliver McCall apparently has been added to that card as well, for a fight with Tommy Martin. ... Strawweights Roberto Leyva and Miguel Barrera will headline an Aug. 9 Top Rank card at the Orleans. ... Sterling McPherson of Las Vegas is promoting a Saturday afternoon card in Warren, Ohio, that will be televised by Showtime. ... Roy Jones Jr. reportedly met with Bernard Hopkins over the weekend to hammer out details on a fall rematch, but Hopkins continues to overprice himself and Jones left the meeting empty handed.

Suspended for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for inappropriate contact with referee Jay Nady after his Nov. 3 loss to Kostya Tszyu at the MGM, Zab Judah returns to the ring Saturday in Tunica, Miss., on Showtime. Judah, the former IBF junior welterweight champion who is 27-1, will face Omar Weis, 35-3-3. "I was mad and disappointed for a long time," Judah says of the episode with Nady, which occurred after the fight was stopped in the second round. "But I've put it behind me and rechanneled my energy toward regaining my title. I'd love a rematch with Tszyu." ... The Aladdin has a card Saturday that might appeal to tourists only and offers middling heavyweights Vaughn Bean and Monte Barrett in the main event. Kevin Kelley vs. Humberto Soto is the lightweight support act.