De La Hoya adds fight in May to calendar

Oscar De La Hoya has a rematch deal in place with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September, but he has also decided to fight May 3 at a site to be determined against an opponent not yet selected, the boxer’s business partner said Friday.

De La Hoya, 34, will fight either at the Home Depot Center’s soccer stadium in Carson or Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 126,000, said Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Schaefer. The fight, Schaefer said, will not be a pay-per-view bout, and will be available to a wider television audience.

De La Hoya, 38-5 with 30 knockouts, lost a split decision to Mayweather last May in the richest pay-per-view bout in history.

Meanwhile, Schaefer said he also struck a deal for Golden Boy fighter Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) to fight unbeaten super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs) of Wales on April 19, probably in Las Vegas.

-- Lance Pugmire

With current Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Sean Sherk wrapping up a six-month steroid suspension from the California State Athletic Commission, the UFC will find out who is Sherk’s top contender today when B.J. Penn (12-4-1) meets Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (33-7) for the interim lightweight title in Newcastle, England.

-- Lance Pugmire

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BASEBALL

Holliday gets two-year, $23-million deal

The Colorado Rockies want to lock up Matt Holliday with a long-term deal. For now, they’ve settled on two years.

The All-Star left fielder agreed to terms on a $23 million, two-year contract on Friday, avoiding arbitration just hours before players and teams exchanged salary figures.

After making $4.4 million last season, Holliday gets $9.5 million this year and $13.5 million in 2009.

Holliday, 28, who finished a close second to Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies in National League MVP balloting last season, batted .340 with 137 RBIs.

He also had 36 home runs and led the league in hits (216) while helping the Rockies to their first pennant.

Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers agreed on a one-year contract worth $11.3 million. The All-Star third baseman joined Detroit along with pitcher Dontrelle Willis as part of a blockbuster trade with Florida last month.

First baseman Justin Morneau, the 2006 American League MVP, agreed to a $7.4 million, one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins.

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WINTER SPORTS

Buechel becomes oldest World Cup winner

Marco Buechel won a men’s super-G race at Kitzbuehel, Austria, to become the oldest winner of a World Cup event.

Buechel, who is 36 years two months and 14 days old, had a near-flawless run on the Streifalm course to finish in 1 minute 15.44 seconds.

Hermann Maier was second, 0.16 of a second behind. World Cup discipline leader Didier Cuche and Mario Scheiber shared third, trailing Buechel by 0.33.

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GOLF

Purtzer (62) takes lead in opener

Tom Purtzer shot a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 to take the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s season-opening MasterCard Championship at Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.

Jim Thorpe, coming off a victory at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, was a stroke behind along with his playing partner, Allen Doyle.

Ji-Yai Shin and Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea shot an 11-under 61 to take a one-stroke lead over France after the first round of the Women’s World Cup at Sun City, South Africa.

Gwladys Nocera missed an eagle opportunity on the 18th that would have tied the Koreans. Canada shot 64, a stroke ahead of the U.S. (Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst), Philippines and Sweden in the team event featuring 20 countries.

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SOCCER

U.S. beats Finland in Four Nations event

Lindsay Tarpley scored two goals to help the U.S. defeat Finland, 4-1, in the Four Nations tournament at Guangzhou, China.

The U.S. took the lead in the 37th minute when Tarpley scored during a goal-mouth scramble. Two minutes later, the forward scored again from 15 yards to make it 2-0.

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BOWLING

Jurek leads Barnes at Dick Weber Open

Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, N.Y, leads Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, by 41 pins after the second round of match play in the PBA Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley.

Jurek, who is 10-6, has a 31-game pinfall total of 6,990. Barnes, 11-5, has a 6,949. Each player in the 24-man field earns 30 bonus pins for each win and 15 bonus pins for each tie included in total pinfall.

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MISCELLANY

Clemson’s Davis opts to return to school

Clemson running back James Davis has returned to college more than a week after announcing his intentions to turn pro.

The school announced that Davis faxed letters to the NFL and Clemson just hours before the deadline to reconsider. Davis is expected to return to class Tuesday.

Kentucky offensive coordinator Joker Phillips will eventually become the Wildcats’ head coach after Rich Brooks’ retirement.

The 66-year-old Brooks has not set a timetable for his retirement, the university announced in a news release. He will sign a contract extension through 2011.

Lesya Kalitovska of Ukraine won the women’s 3,000-meter individual pursuit at the Cycling World Cup event at the Home Depot Center in Carson. She was timed in 3:38.797. Sarah Hammer of Temecula was fourth in 3:41.006.

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PASSINGS

Ernie Holmes, 59, Former Steelers star

Ernie Holmes, who won two Super Bowls as an anchor of Pittsburgh’s famed “Steel Curtain” defense during the 1970s, died in a car crash. He was 59.

Story in Section B.