By Mark Vester
After years of fighting exclusively on pay-per-view, Oscar De La Hoya is willing to have a tuneup on regular television.
In a recent conversation with sports writer David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press, De La Hoya said a tuneup on free TV would be perfect to shake off the rust.
"I would love to do a tune-up fight on free TV," De La Hoya said. "I would love it. It's something I'm really considering, because I've been doing all these big fights, and I take time off, whether it's a year, or two years, and I have to admit there's some rust to shake off. I think I deserve a tune-up fight. It's an idea I've had for many years, and maybe this is the perfect opportunity to approach the networks -- with me. I'm more than willing to fight on free TV because of what it would do for boxing."
The tuneup would move De La Hoya towards the winner of the Dec. 8 Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton pay-per-view. De La Hoya has made no secret that he would love the winner to be Hatton.
"Absolutely, the winner would be very attractive," De La Hoya said. "I love Ricky's chances. I think Ricky is a bigger, stronger, faster Jose Luis Castillo," he said, referring to an opponent Mayweather twice beat on difficult decisions, and Hatton knocked out with a single body shot. "Castillo put a lot of pressure on Floyd. He had a lot of energy and he wasn't fazed by Floyd's punches. I think that's how Ricky will fight him."
De La Hoya also feels that Mayweather's involvement with the reality show "Dancing with the Stars" will be a sure distraction.
"It does have to be a distraction. That's for sure," he said. "To what extent, I don't know, because I don't know how seriously he's taking 'Dancing with the Stars.'
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