By Mark Vester
Oscar De La Hoya has set the date for his anticipated return, May 3. He would like to face Ricky Hatton at Dodgers Stadium, should Hatton upset Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
Now that undefeated WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has defeated his Golden Boy Promotions partner Shane Mosley, De La Hoya has a new dance partner should Hatton lose.
De La Hoya tells New York Newsday that he saw a lot of holes in Cotto's game that Mosley was unable to capitalize on. He feels that Cotto has not become a bigger star than fellow Puerto Rican fighter Felix Trinidad, but he stands a chance to do so if he fights the right opponent.
"I don't know how popular Cotto can become. I don't know if he can surpass the popularity of a [Felix] Trinidad. Not yet, I don't think. It all depends on the opponent," De La Hoya said. "I saw a lot of vulnerability in Cotto the other night, a lot of things that I can take advantage of. Even more than usual. I saw a whole bunch of things I would have done differently than Shane."
De La Hoya told the paper that he still favors Ricky Hatton for his next fight (should he beat Mayweather) and does not have Cotto as the frontrunner, but he appeared to take heavy notes during Cotto's performance against Mosley and seems to have an early battle plan laid out.
"I noticed Cotto doesn't like pressure. When Shane pressed him, he backed off. And when Shane was on his toes and used his jab, Cotto was completely locked up. He relies too heavily on his left hook, because his right hand is not that impressive. And when you hit him to the body, he bends down and he's wide open for uppercuts," De La Hoya said.
When asked why Hatton was the frontrunner, De La Hoya said he's got a good feeling that Hatton will win, and a meeting with Hatton is a much bigger fight, especially if he beats Mayweather.
"I have a good feeling Hatton is going to win," De La Hoya said. "And that would be a huge international attraction."
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