Oscar De La Hoya Signs Cuban Defectors To His Stable

Even as Oscar De La Hoya plans his last battle in the ring, his mind, as usual, is on the future. That's why he's signed on Cuban defectors Yan Barthelemy (right) and Erislandy Lara (left) to fight under his Golden Boy banner. You might remember Lara from his daring escape attempt during the Pan-Am Games in Brazil--amazing only in that it wasn't a defection attempt in Florida. But now that both are out, they want to continue to try to make it in this crazy world of ours and leave that whole "risking death to get a better life" thing behind.

Last week, Arena Box CEO Ahmet Oner announced Lara had recently traveled from Cuba to Mexico by speedboat before making his way to Germany to sign a contract. Oner expects Lara to make his pro debut in Istanbul on July 4.

"It takes special talent to excel for so many years in the Cuban amateur system," said De La Hoya, a U.S. gold medalist in 1992. "I know that Yan and Erislandy will use that experience to soar through their professional careers."

"I don't want to talk about the details of my escape," Lara said in a statement last week. "I am just glad to be here, and I am looking forward to turning professional and becoming champion of the world."

He forgot "get embroiled in a fiasco with a woman, possibly involving photos." That's the good thing about signing with Oscar--he's got you covered on all bases. Golden Boy Promotions signs star Cuban boxers [Sporting News] Image [NY Times]