Columnist Dean Juipe: ‘Unknown’ looks to take De La Hoya by Sturm

Dean Juipe

Thursday, April 1, 2004 | 9:39 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.

Fighting exclusively in Germany and facing no one a U.S. boxing fan would recognize, Felix Sturm has built a 20-0 record by utilizing such natural attributes as quickness and speed.

But when he takes on Oscar De La Hoya June 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, it will be nothing like what he has seen in the past.

"He's very strong and aggressive," De La Hoya's trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., said of Sturm. "He's not a great puncher, but he'll be a good test for Oscar because he's tough, physical and strong."

Moments later, however, Mayweather put the fight in what the public would say is a more accurate perspective and light.

"Sturm may be fast, but I've got the faster man," Mayweather said. "Sturm may be skilled, but I've got the more skilled guy."

Sturm vs. De La Hoya is one half of a middleweight doubleheader that includes undisputed champion Bernard Hopkins vs. Robert Allen in the companion main. If De La Hoya and Hopkins both win, they'll fight Sept. 18 at the same site.

"I've never disrespected my opponent and I'm not going to disrespect Felix Sturm," De La Hoya said as the fight card's press tour stopped in Las Vegas. "Every single fight is a tough fight for me because the other guy always gives it his best.

"Fighting Sturm is going to be difficult for me. He's young, he's undefeated, he holds a (World Boxing Organization) belt and this fight is a huge deal to him."

It's also a chance for Sturm to do something novel, or at least something few fighters would admit: fight his idol.

"It's been a dream of mine to fight in Las Vegas and fight a great champion, but I never really thought I would fight Oscar De La Hoya," he said. "It's a dream come true for me because he's been like an idol for me.

"He's someone I've always looked up to."

Sturm may run the risk of being overwhelmed, yet he has met every previous challenge thrown his way. A member of Germany's 2000 Olympic team and a former European amateur champion who went 113-9 before turning pro, Sturm has taken part in two WBO title fights and won them both.

As a late sub, he won by split decision against Argentina's Hector Velazco Sept. 13 in Berlin, and he followed that up with a decision victory against Ruben Varon Dec. 20 in Kiel.

His record, plus his manager Klaus-Peter Kohl's good relationship with De La Hoya's management and promotional team, allowed him to get a fight of considerable consequence only three years into his pro career.

Hopkins, for one, is pleased Sturm accepted the challenge of fighting De La Hoya and that De La Hoya, in turn, is accepting Hopkins' challenge for the fight in September.

"Oscar stepped up when others found a way not to step up," he said. "Nothing against Sturm, but I need De La Hoya to win that fight.

"It's business, it's nothing personal against Sturm, who seems like a nice guy. It's just that I get more money for fighting Oscar than anyone else."

"A few months ago it looked as if we might have a down year, but the team came together a month or so ago and now I'm pretty optimistic," UNLV head coach Skip Kelp said of his squad. "It's been a nice surprise."

Kelp had to replace three national champions, but he said his team "has a decent shot" at taking the team championship in an event that includes nine other teams and a total of 96 fighters. Competition begins tonight and concludes Saturday, with UNLV joining Nevada-Reno, Miami of Ohio, California, Lock Haven (Pa.), Air Force, Navy, Army, Penn State and Kentucky as schools which have earned the right to compete for the team title.

UNLV will have representatives in eight weight classes, including: Moon Kim, 112 pounds; Samuelson Go, 125; Michael O'Hara, 132; David Bermudez, 139; Joey Massa , 156; Steve Pakish, 165; David Leake, 175; and Yezgeniy Korshunov, 195.

Bermudez, a silver medalist in the national tournament last year, has not lost a bout this season and is regarded as UNLV's best bet to win an individual championship.

Yamplier Azcui, aka Yanko Diaz, a Cuban who lives in Las Vegas, flew in from Miami the day of the fight and lost a 10-round decision to Anthony Thompson in the main event. The loss was the first in nine professional fights for Diaz, who had been sparring with Atilla Levin in Florida until getting a call to hustle to Lake Tahoe and replace Derek Bryant for the fight with Thompson, who is 21-1.

Bryant withdrew from the card due to the death of his father.

Fights involving Shufford and Diggs were scuttled as the card was reconfigured.

In another fight of interest on the card, former heavyweight contender Clifford Etienne, 26-2-2, was held to a draw by Gilberto Martinez, 18-6-2, but was nonetheless rewarded with a promotional contract offered by Kushner.