Oscar De La Hoya needed a controversial decision to win his first fight as a middleweight against German Felix Sturm last night. All three judges scored it 115-113 in favour of De La Hoya after 12 rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and it gave him the WBO title.
But Sturm declared himself the winner and former lightweight world champion Jim Watt, now a Sky Sports pundit, was one of many who agreed. He scored the fight 115-113 to Sturm.
De La Hoya's victory means he has won world titles at six different weights and that the September 18 megafight with Bernard Hopkins is still on. Hopkins beat Robert Allen on the same card to defend his middleweight titles.
"Everyone knows I won this fight," said 25-year-old Sturm, who was fighting in America for the first time. "I am the true champion. He got the win because he is a big name."
De La Hoya was disappointed with his performance. He said: "Everything went wrong tonight. I tried as hard as I can. In my heart I know I can do better. People have seen me do better. I don't know what it was."
Filed by Shane Murray
