De La Hoya Gets Gatti, Then Moves Up

Oscar De La Hoya said Tuesday that he will launch his comeback against Arturo Gatti in March.

That was no surprise. It has been speculated for weeks that Gatti would be De La Hoya’s next opponent.

The surprise came when De La Hoya said that, after this fight, he will move from 147 pounds to 154.

That would seem to indicate that De La Hoya’s next big pay-per-view fight will be against fellow Southern Californian Fernando Vargas because Felix Trinidad Jr. is moving to 160 pounds and Shane Mosley is for now staying at 147. De La Hoya’s fight against Gatti will be televised by HBO.

De La Hoya has been inactive since losing a split decision and his World Boxing Council welterweight title to Mosley in June. De La Hoya subsequently sued his promoter, Bob Arum, to break their contract.

De La Hoya won that court fight Thursday.

Eager for his fighter to face the slow, easy-to-hit Gatti (33-3, 27 knockouts), De La Hoya’s new promoter, Jerry Perenchio, had offered Gatti $1.6 million. When that offer became widely known in recent weeks, Perenchio upped it to $1.8, which Gatti has accepted.

With no site yet selected, De La Hoya’s purse has yet to be determined.

Also not definite is a date, although the most likely is March 24.

“I am full of fire and desire,” De La Hoya said in a press release.

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In another development involving a high-profile boxer, Mike Tyson’s boxing license in Michigan was suspended for three months and he was fined $5,000 for refusing to submit to a urine test before his Oct. 20 fight against Andrew Golota.

The decision will be honored by at least one important governing body outside Michigan--the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“All states should honor this suspension and Nevada absolutely will,” said Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada body.

The ruling by the Michigan Athletic Board of Control might have little impact because the former heavyweight champion was not planning to fight in the next three months.

The board also required Tyson to make a “donation” of $200,000 to organizations later approved by the board.

The board voted 6-1, with two members not present. The dissenting voter, Glenn Hirsch, said: “That fight shouldn’t have happened. We have to stand our ground someplace . . . It’s bewildering to me.”

Tyson’s last fight was against Golota, who quit before third round in Auburn Hills. Tyson does not have another bout scheduled and it is highly unlikely he would box again in Michigan.

Before the bout, Tyson said his fight with Golota would be his last. However, he is back in the gym and training to fight.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.