Oscar cut hand earlier this week

Admits To Lidocaine Shot

18/09/2004

Oscar cut hand earlier this week

Controversy has erupted in the hours leading up to the world middleweight championship bout in Las Vegas that potentially will give both Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya a chance to make excuses for a loss.  De La Hoya apparently will fight with a cut on his hand that he suffered earlier this week as his hand wraps were being removed.  According to Nevada Athletic Commissioner Marc Ratner, De La Hoya’s camp has admitted he received a shot of lidocaine, a painkiller that is not allowed to be in a boxer’s system at the time of a bout.  De La Hoya’s post-fight urine test will be very closely watched.