Notebook: De La Hoya on comeback: 'I missed getting hit and doing the hitting'

AJ-Usyk undercard; new Benavidez-Uzcategui date; more

Although Oscar De La Hoya has been a part of the boxing landscape as one of the sport’s leading promoters since he retired after taking a savage beating from Manny Pacquiao in an eighth-round knockout loss in 2008, the Golden Boy said he wasn’t ready to hang up his gloves.

And so De La Hoya, the biggest star of his of his time, decided months ago that he was going to come out of retirement.

He will face former UFC star Vitor Belfort in the main event of a Triller Fight Club pay-per-view card on Sept. 11 (7 p.m. ET, $49.99) at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“Call me crazy but I just miss it. I missed getting hit and doing the hitting,” De La Hoya said this week at a public workout across the street from Staples Center at LA Live to promote the event. “I wasn’t ready to retire after I lost to Manny Pacquiao. I never felt like I was in wars, so in boxing you’re just as old as how you feel.”

The 48-year-old De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs), of Los Angeles, has not fought in 13 years while also entering rehab multiple times to deal with drug and alcohol addiction. But he claims to be clean now and dedicated to his training.

“I went through hell and back treating my body wrong but these last six months I feel amazing,” De La Hoya said. “I refocused myself and rededicated myself and I’m actually doing this for me. I can’t wait.”

He and Belfort will meet in a scheduled eight-round official boxing match but one in which the rounds will be two minutes in duration instead of the usual three. Officially, it is a cruiserweight fight with a contract limit of 185 pounds. De La Hoya has never boxed above 160 pounds.

“The weight limit is 185 but I’m going to come in at 175, strong like an ox,” said De La Hoya, who won world titles in a then-record six divisions and is enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “I’m at 180 right now. I’m the underdog because the bettors don’t believe in me but I finally put the train back on the rails.

“I’m not a betting man or a gambler but I would put a lot of money on me. I’m going to surprise people on how I do it. I’ve been training smart. I’ve been very motivated in training since we opened camp. I’m going to give the fans a war. I’ve been studying Marvin Hagler versus Thomas Hearns for a reason. I want a fight, a war. I have a good chin and I can take the punch.”

The 44-year-old Belfort, a southpaw from Brazil, is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who has faced many top MMA opponents. He has had one previous boxing match, a first-round knockout win in Brazil in 2006.

“I know Vitor Belfort has the same mentality,” De La Hoya said. “He was a boxer first before he became the UFC (light heavyweight) champion. I have to be calculating with my attack and stay away from his big left hand. There will be a knockout. My inspiration for this fight is Arturo Gatti. I want one of those types of fights.”

Joshua-Usyk undercard set

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn on Wednesday announced the undercard for the fight between unified heavyweight world titlist Anthony Joshua and WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk on Sept. 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

WBO cruiserweight titlist Lawrence Okolie (16-0, 13 KOs), 28, of England, will make his first defense in his hometown in the co-feature. Okolie, who won the vacant title by sixth-round knockout of former titlist Krzysztof Glowacki on March 20 in London, will face mandatory challenger Dilan Prasovic (15-0, 12 KOs), 26, of Montenegro.

Also on the card:

• Former super middleweight world titlist Callum Smith (27-1, 19 KOs), 31, of England, is moving up to light heavyweight for his first fight since losing his title by one-sided decision to Canelo Alvarez in December. Smith will face Lenin Castillo (21-3-1, 16 KOs), 33, of the Dominican Republic in a 10-rounder.

• Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (3-0, 0 KOs), 20, of England, the son of British legend Ricky Hatton, will face Izan Dura (3-7, 0 KOs), 21, of Spain, in a four-rounder.

• Welterweight Florian Marku (8-0-1, 6 KOs), 28, a native of Albania fighting out of England, Maxim Prodan (19-0-1, 15 KOs), 28, of Italy, in a regional title bout.

• Chicago middleweight Christopher Ousley (12-0, 9 KOs), 30, will face former world title challenger Khasan Baysangurov (21-1, 11 KOs), 24, of Russia, in a regional title bout.

The card will stream live on DAZN in the United States and more than 170 other countries and territories around and on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Benavidez-Uzcategui rescheduled

Former two-time super middleweight titlist David Benavidez’s fight with former titlist Jose Uzcategui has been rescheduled for Nov. 13 (Showtime) at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Benavidez’s hometown.

The 24-year-old Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) and the Venezuela-born, Mexico-based Uzcategui (31-4, 26 KOs), 30, who will meet in a WBC 168-pound title elimination fight, were originally due to fight on Aug. 28 at the same venue, which is the home arena for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. However, the card was postponed two weeks beforehand when Benavidez came down with Covid-19.

The winner of the fight will move a step closer to becoming one of the mandatory challengers for unified super middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez, who faces Caleb Plant the previous week for the undisputed title.

Moving to the new date is also the original 10-round co-feature between junior middleweight Jose Benavidez Jr. (27-1, 18 KOs), 29, David’s older brother, and Francisco Emanuel Torres (17-3, 5 KOs), 31, of Argentina.

Jose Benavidez is moving up from welterweight for his first fight with Premier Boxing Champions after buying out the remainder of his contract with Top Rank. He hasn’t fought since welterweight titlist Terence Crawford knocked him out in the 12th round in October 2018.

PBC said tickets purchased for the Aug. 28 event are valid for the new date or they can be returned to the point of purchase.

Street named for Shields

Claressa Shields, the two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist, three-division women’s champion and reigning undisputed junior middleweight champion, had a street named for her in her hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Spencer Street was ceremonially turned into Claressa Shields Street and dedicated in her honor by City of Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely this past Sunday. Shields (11-0, 2 KOs), 26, was a guest speaker at the ceremony, which took place at her Joy Tabernacle Church.

Neely said the next step is to determine if it will be a ceremonial name change or an official name change. Ceremonial would mean adding Shield's name to the existing name and official would mean the removal of the existing street name and replacing it with Shield's name. 

"Claressa continues to make us all proud while exemplifying what it means to be a true champion,” Neely said. “She has accomplished so much, remains connected to this community and we just want to honor her. This street dedication is well-deserved.”

Shields, who also is fighting as a professional in PFL MMA, said she appreciated the honor.

“I was surprised by the Mayor of Flint! The street I grew up on, Spencer Street, is being named after me ‘Claressa Shields Street.’ My grandma would be so proud! I delivered a great message today! I feel so special!!! I’m overjoyed.”

Dmitriy Salita, Shields’ promoter, also hailed the honor.

“This is a well-deserved honor for a woman and fighter who has done a lot to help and support her home city,” Salita said. “She never stops working toward success in her career or as a public figure with an inspiring message. Salita Promotions is proud to represent her.”

Quick hits

WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo was arrested on Wednesday on three counts of second-degree robbery stemming from an alleged dispute with a waitress on July 16 in San Antonio. He posted bond and was released. Charlo, according to the police, was with friends at the bar the night before his twin brother, unified junior middleweight titlist Jermell Charlo, fought to a draw with titlist Brian Castano for the undisputed title. He is accused of not paying a large bar tab after his credit card was declined three times. Charlo allegedly accused the waitress of losing his credit card, demanded she pay the bill and then was seen on the bar’s surveillance video rifling through the waitress’ collection binders that contained his ID and cash from another customer. When the waitress got the binders back they were empty and Charlo and his party had left the establishment, according to police. The waitress apparently suffered a minor leg injury in the scuffle. If convicted, Charlo would face two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

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Former two-time super middleweight world title challenger Jesse Hart will return to the ring on Sept. 17 at the 2300 Arena in his hometown of Philadelphia to headline an RDR Promotions card. Hart (26-3, 21 KOs), 32, will face Mike Guy (12-6-1, 5 KOs), 40, of Sacramento, in an eight-round super middleweight bout. Hart will be fighting for the first time since parting ways with career-long promoter Top Rank following a 10-round split decision loss to Joe Smith Jr., in a light heavyweight bout in January 2020. Smith went on to win a vacant world title. Hart’s two other losses were decisions to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in world title bouts.

Show and tell

There were many Muhammad Ali cards and stickers produced during his legendary career but most of them were from sets produced overseas, including a new addition to my collection that I am really excited to have acquired. It is a fantastic-looking and very scarce German sticker from the 1976 Americana Munchen Sport Parade set. There are two Ali stickers in the multi-sport set but this is the nicer of the two in my view. This is the highest PSA-graded example of this sticker as it is one of only two at the 9 level. Only six total have been graded and there are no 10s.

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De La Hoya photo: Triller Fight Club; Shields photo: Team Shields