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The fifth element De La Hoya decisions Castillejo to become champ again
Updated: Sunday June 24, 2001 9:53 AM
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Oscar De La Hoya was treated like he was the champion all week long. He finally went out Saturday night and made it official, beating Javier Castillejo of Spain by decision to win the WBC super welterweight title. De La Hoya's move up to 154 pounds was a successful one as he dominated an outclassed Castillejo to become a champion again for the first time since he lost to Felix Trinidad nearly two years ago. It was the fifth title in as many weight classes for De La Hoya, who went into the fight an overwhelming favorite of both the fans and the oddsmakers despite being the challenger. He didn't disappoint either, though De La Hoya was unable to put the game champion down until a left hook accomplished the task with five seconds left in the fight. De La Hoya smiled as Castillejo went down and the crowd at the MGM Grand hotel arena erupted in a frenzy. The champion, bleeding from a cut on his left eye, got up quickly and the bell sounded to end the fight before action resumed. "Some people don't think I have power or stamina but I do," De La Hoya said. De La Hoya ended up winning a lopsided 12-round decision that was really never in doubt, though Castillejo got his attention at times with some good right hands and landed a left hook that shook De La Hoya with 32 seconds left in the 12th round. All three judges scored the fight 119-108, giving Castillejo only one round. The Associated Press also had De La Hoya winning by the same score. De La Hoya, fighting for only the second time since his loss to Shane Mosley last June, had vowed to quit if he lost to the 33-year-old Castillejo, who had rarely fought out of his native Spain. Instead, he set himself up for possible rematches with Mosley and Trinidad, the two fighters who have defeated him. "It doesn't matter. Whoever's available," he said. "I want to fight the best and be the best." Castillejo had made five successful defenses of the 154-pound title, but he was tentative and spent much of the early part of fight backing up against De La Hoya, who landed effectively to the body and head with his left hook. Castillejo (51-5) fought only in spurts, though he began pressing the attack in the late rounds, only to take a beating from De La Hoya's left hook. "I've seen quick and fast boxers but he's extremely fast," Castillejo said. "He's an outstanding boxer and a great champion." De La Hoya (34-2) was an 8-1 favorite by fight time, and by the middle rounds the only question was whether he had enough power at 154 pounds to stop Castillejo. He rocked the champion in the early seconds of the opening round with a right hand and shook Castillejo all night with the left hook. But he never really had Castillejo in trouble and never seemed close to putting him down until the final round. De La Hoya earned $3 million for the fight, but more importantly it gave him a title to chase some much bigger fights against the likes of Trinidad, Mosley and Fernando Vargas. Both fighters weighed the class limit of 154 pounds. In an undercard fight, Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines dominated from the first round on before stopping Lehlohonolo Ledwaba of South Africa to win the IBF bantamweight title. Ledwaba had defended the title five times, but he was never in the fight against Pacquiao, who knocked him down in the second round and two more times in the sixth. Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight after the third knockdown, with Ledwaba on his back at 59 seconds of the sixth round. Pacquiao, 121, improved to 33-2 with 24 knockouts, while Ledwaba, 122, dropped to 33-2-1. Three Olympians on the card remained undefeated with easy wins. Heavyweight Michael Bennett had the easiest time of it, stopping Donald Macon at 41 seconds of the first round to improve to 4-0. Middleweight Jermain Taylor beat Marvin Smith in a four-round decision to remain undefeated in fights, while Jose Navarro won his fifth fight as a pro with a four-round decision over Salvador Rosales in a bantamweight fight.
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