Diego De La Hoya, Oscar's cousin, wins in Las Vegas on eve of Cotto-Canelo
Referee Russell Mora holds up Diego De La Hoya's hand after he defeated Giovanni Delgado. (Photo: Tom Hogan, GBP)
On the eve of his cousin's big pay-per-view fight featuring Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto, fan favorite Diego De La Hoya won a unanimous decision against Giovanni Delgado in an eight-round super bantamweight main event at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
As former champions Bernard Hopkins and Fernando Vargas, and Creed star and Golden Boy boxer Gabe Rosado looked on, De La Hoya, 21, shined with a unanimous decision victory against Delgado to remain unbeaten at 13-0 (7 KOs). The fight went back and forth as the fighters traded combinations in the middle of the ring.
Delgado proved a difficult opponent, landing hard combinations to the body and then following up with shots to De La Hoya's head. But the young cousin of Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo's promoter, showed his toughness and durability, taking Delgado's shots and countering with clean effective punches before a crowd of 1,339. Delgado fell to 15-4 (9 KOs).
"I knew he (Delgado) was going to be a tough opponent," said De La Hoya. "I used to spar with him when I was 15 years old so I was familiar with his style but I think now I am a faster and more intelligent fighter and that's what gave me the victory tonight. This victory also proved to me that I have a great passion for the sport and hope to become a world champion soon. I'm not going to quit until I achieve my goal. I want to thank all the fans that came out to support me and I'm glad I closed out the year with victory."
In the co-main event, John Karl Sosa, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Cotto's hometown, suffered his first career loss with a sixth round knockout by Alan Sanchez (17-3-1, 9 KO's) of Fairfield, Calif., in an eight-round welterweight bout. A tactical affair in the first few rounds, the two fighters showed their skill and ring intelligence as they got accustomed to the other's style. Entering the final round, Sanchez caught Sosa with a powerful shot that sent him to the canvas. Clearly hurt, Sosa met the count but was sent down twice more, forcing the referee to stop to the fight.
"I think my experience showed tonight. I was able to beat the favorite tonight, a young undefeated top prospect and this win means a lot to me and my career. I won and in a great way, dropping him three times in the sixth round. This win proves that I have grown as a fight and am ready to go to the next level and compete for a regional title," said Sanchez.