Oscar Stays A Welterweight
Oscar De La Hoya plans to remain a welterweight for his next few fights, the first of which will come in late February or March.
After being snubbed by Felix Trinidad, who pulled out of talks for a rematch to move up to 154 pounds and fight David Reid, De La Hoya will try and regain a portion of the 147-pound title in his next fight, promoter Bob Arum said Friday.
That will come either against Russia's Ahmed Kotiev, the WBO champion, or possibly against Derell Coley for the WBC title if it declares the championship currently held by Trinidad vacant because he is moving up in weight.
Arum said the fight would be either Feb. 26 at Madison Square Garden or March 11 at the new Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Arum had been in negotiations with rival promoter Don King for a rematch of the Sept. 18 fight in which Trinidad added De La Hoya's WBC welterweight title to the IBF belt he already had.
But King last week announced instead that Trinidad would move up to 154 pounds and fight Reid, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, for Reid's WBA junior middleweight belt on March 4 in Las Vegas.
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