Oscar tips Kostya comeback
From Peter Mitchell in Los Angeles, theadvertiser.news.com.au
14sep05
BOXING great Oscar De La Hoya believes Kostya Tszyu will be a world champion again if he decides to continue his career.
Tszyu is still weighing up his future after his bruising IBF light welterweight title loss to England's Ricky Hatton in Manchester in June.
The loss may have cost Tszyu a $US10 million ($13.3 million) super fight against American De La Hoya, the world's highest paid fighter, who has won world titles in six weight divisions.
De La Hoya said today he didn't know if that match up was now possible but he was adamant 35-year-old Tszyu could add to his four world titles if he decided to continue.
He also believed Tszyu could succeed in the welterweight division if he moved up in weight.
"I really feel Kostya Tszyu is a tremendous fighter," De La Hoya said. "I know him. He's a great guy.
"At welterweight he will be a big threat. He is still a strong and very intelligent fighter and dangerous fighter.
"I really feel that when he fought Hatton, I don't know if it was him up in that ring, the Tszyu that we know, but if he decides to fight again, I can assure you he will be world champion again."
De La Hoya is planning two more fights before he retires and named Americans Ronald "Winky" Wright, Fernando Vargas and Tszyu's old foe, Zab Judah, as his potential opponents.
He doubted whether a previously mooted match up with Tszyu could now take place.
"I don't know if it's possible," De La Hoya said.
"I know I have some good fights ahead of me.
"I have the guys like Winky Wright. I have a re-match with Fernando Vargas.
"There's a lot of fights out there. You have the undisputed champion in the welterweight division now, Zab Judah.
"It will be interesting who we pick next."
A De La Hoya-Tszyu super fight would have been a clash between two of the most respected fighters in the sport and would have easily been the biggest pay day of Tszyu's career.
De La Hoya, because of his popularity and ability to draw huge pay-per-view TV revenue, demands huge fees for his fights.
In his last bout 12 months ago De La Hoya was knocked out by Bernard Hopkins, but he still earned $US35 million ($46 million) for stepping in the ring.
De La Hoya would have expected at least $US25 million ($33 million) to fight Tszyu.
Tszyu would have earned about $US10 million - more than double his usual purse.
A De La Hoya-Tszyu superfight would have involved De La Hoya dropping down from the middleweight (72.58kg) division to welterweight (66.68kg).
Tszyu would have left the junior welterweight (63.5kg) division he dominated for almost a decade to move up to welterweight.
De La Hoya, 32, has also emerged as one of the sport's most powerful promoters with his Golden Boy Promotions handling the likes of Hopkins, Shane Mosley and Mexican firebrand, Marco Antonio Barrera.
It is Barrera who takes on Australia's Robbie Peden in Las Vegas on the weekend for the undisputed super featherweight title.
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Dont know what anyone else thinks, but wouldnt that be a great for boxing? Tyszu vs De La Hoya, id pay very good money to see that one! Lot of respect for Oscar, probally more than any other professional fighter besides Erik Morales. He is always trying to give the fans what they want, people said he didnt want any part of Trinidad, Hopkins, Vargas, Ike Quartey and he went and made those matches. He always backs up what he says, the likes of Calzaghe would do well to take a few pages out of his book, a real champion.