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'There's no stopping me now' De La Hoya looks to step into the big ring again
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The only thing Oscar De La Hoya wants now is big fights. With his victory against Javier Castillejo, he thinks he has a bargaining chip to get them. After nearly two years without a title, De La Hoya won the WBC 154-pound crown Saturday night from Castillejo with a dominating performance in his first fight since moving up from welterweight. De La Hoya's future is far from clear, with the possibility he can move up to middleweight, stay at 154 pounds or go back down to 147 pounds. But he believes the title might help convince the likes of Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas and Felix Trinidad to give him the big fights he so desperately seeks. "It's all about just making the fights," De La Hoya said. "My next fight I want a big fight. It has to be a big opponent." Eager to regain his stature among boxing's elite, De La Hoya knows he can get there only through possible rematches with the two fighters who have beaten him or against Vargas. He wants to fight one of them in November, a task complicated by the fact De La Hoya believes his popularity means he should call the shots for any future fights. "I have this world championship title and I'm in the driver's seat," he said. "That's just the way it's going to be." Not so fast, says Mosley, who beat De La Hoya last June and believes he has nothing to prove by doing it again. "I'm supposed to jump up and fight Oscar? On his own terms? I don't think so," Mosley said. Mosley said he would want equal money to fight De La Hoya again, a fight that would likely take place at a catch weight of 150 pounds. Trinidad would probably want more money, and he still needs to beat Bernard Hopkins in their September fight to unify the middleweight titles. That leaves Vargas, though he may be leery of taking the fight until he has a few more bouts to recover from the beating he took from Trinidad in December. "If they need rest, more training or don't want to fight this year, I'm willing to wait," De La Hoya said. "But I have to fight these guys again." De La Hoya won a title in a fifth weight class in beating an outclassed Castillejo, who tried at times but was no match for his quickness or boxing ability. It was the first fight at 154 pounds for De La Hoya. The decision was lopsided and unanimous -- and De La Hoya added a flourish by knocking Castillejo down in the final seconds -- but the fight really didn't show that much about De La Hoya's chances at the heavier weight. "I felt very strong, like I can hang with the big guys," De La Hoya said. "I'll probably stay here at 154. I felt solid, great." De La Hoya seemed to rock Castillejo seconds into the fight with a right hand that he has been working on with new trainer Floyd Mayweather. He dominated the rest of the way, using quickness and a potent left hook to keep the champion off balance. De La Hoya won all but the 10th round on all three ringside scorecards and landed 403 punches to only 121 for Castillejo. "I've seen quick and fast boxers, but he's extremely fast," Castillejo said. "He's an outstanding boxer and a great champion." What De La Hoya may not have proved is whether he can carry his punch up into the heavier weights. He never seemed to have Castillejo in trouble until finally dropping him with a left hook with five seconds left in the fight. "I know Oscar can get better," Mayweather said. "But I thought he did an excellent job." De La Hoya thought so, too, after collecting another title and another $3 million to add to his already huge bank account. The losses to Mosley and Trinidad tarnished a career that once seemed without limits. Now, De La Hoya has a title back for the first time in nearly two years and a new determination that he can be the best once again. "It looks easy to capture five world titles. But if that's the case, why doesn't every fighter do it," De La Hoya said. "There's no stopping me now. I want to capture another world title."
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