De La Hoya Wins, Avoids Some Road Work

Oscar De La Hoya’s road map to stardom and a major boxing championship will not leave him stranded on a dark desert highway after all.

Having promised to walk back to Los Angeles if his opponent so much landed one punch, De La Hoya nearly lived up to pre-fight bravado Friday night when he scored a third-round, technical knockout victory over Carl Griffith at the MGM Grand Garden.

Referee Mitch Halpern stopped the fight at 1:02 of the third shortly after a De La Hoya left hook dropped Griffith for the second time in the bout.

De La Hoya (15-0, 14 knockouts) retained his World Boxing Organization championship with a victory that, as predicted, left him unscathed.

For the record, Griffith (28-4-2) did manage to score a glancing blow in the first, forcing De La Hoya to compromise on his boast.

“OK, I’ll walk one mile,” De La Hoya said. “I must say he hit me with one punch. I’ll walk to the Excalibur (hotel).”

Some thought Griffith, a tough fighter if nothing else, would test De La Hoya with his inside strength. But it was clear from the outset that Griffith was no match for the speed and power of De La Hoya’s punches.

De La Hoya’s only regret was that the bout did not last long enough to make the trip worthwhile.

“It was a difficult call,” De La Hoya said of the referee’s decision. “If he would have let him go, he would have gotten hurt.”

De La Hoya has made short work of his last two opponents, having scored a second-round knockout against Jorge Paez on July 29.

“It’s very frustrating,” De La Hoya said of his lack of ring time. “But I have another fight Dec. 10 (against Johnny Avila).”

Griffith complained that he did not have enough time to warm up after the preceding fight ended in a quick knockout.

He could have warmed up for a week and it would probably not have changed the outcome.

De La Hoya jumped on Griffith early, dropping him with the second of two left hooks landed in succession. He staggered Griffith with another hook in the second, then called it a night in the third.

“He hits hard,” Griffith said. “He surprised me with his power. He is good. I see him going far.”

De La Hoya’s victory marked another step on a far-reaching and calculated game plan that ultimately leads to a much-anticipated showdown against International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas on May 6.

De La Hoya will fight two times before then, Dec. 10 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium and then in February.

“My plan is going on schedule,” De La Hoya said. “I’m climbing up the ladder. Two steps to go. I’m ready for the world champions, bring on whoever. Rafael Ruelas is a good one, but I’ll win that one too.”

Robert Alcazar, De La Hoya’s trainer, said the best is yet to come.

“Ruelas will be one of his easiest fights,” Alcazar predicted. “He hits too hard for Ruelas. He’s just too much. No way a human can take that kind of pounding.”