Boxing: De la Hoya ignores rematch to fight Coley

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, who suffered the first defeat of his seven-year professional career in September, will return to the ring on 26 February at New York's Madison Square Garden for a welterweight contest against the World Boxing Council's top-ranked Derrell Coley, who has a record of 34 wins, 24 inside the distance, one loss and two draws.

De la Hoya, 26, who has recorded 25 knock-outs in his 31 professional fights, is still angry at the defeat by the Puerto Rican, Felix Trinidad, on a majority decision in Las Vegas but declared that he had refused to abandon the Coley bout for a rematch with Trinidad.

De la Hoya, who had been accused before the Trinidad fight of avoiding his major rival, still cannot come to terms with the defeat. "It was very difficult to accept that loss. Every time I watch that fight, I give myself another round," he said. "I demanded a rematch right away. We offered them $20m [pounds 12.5m]. But they wanted to make me wait because they think they have all the power in the world now. That's just ignorance on their part.

"Now they don't know where to go. They want me to break my fight with Coley. I don't need Trinidad. I'm not going to change my schedule for him."