De La Hoya: Wrist to Be OK for Fight

As he spoke, Oscar De La Hoya pounded his left fist into his right palm.

That was the most important moment of Wednesday’s news conference at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to kick off 3 1/2 months of hype for De La Hoya-Shane Mosley II Sept. 13 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

More important than all the talk about redemption and revenge for their first meeting three years ago, a fight at Staples Center that Mosley won on a split decision.

The X factor in this rematch is De La Hoya’s left hand, his primary weapon. He keeps saying it is fine, but he keeps injuring it. He had surgery on the hand in 2001 to remove torn cartilage and re-injured it last year, causing a postponement of his fight against Fernando Vargas.

Then, earlier this month, in his fight against Yory Boy Campas, De La Hoya strained his left wrist in the first round, causing him to use his left hand less than he had in any previous fight.

De La Hoya was fitted with a soft cast after the fight and is undergoing rehabilitation. But his physician, Tony Daly, declared Wednesday the injury won’t be a factor against Mosley.

De La Hoya pounded his left fist with a smile on his face to demonstrate the accuracy of Daly’s diagnosis and said he plans to call on his left hand often in the 154-pound title fight.

“The key is going to be to jab, jab, jab,” De La Hoya said.