De La Hoya to host fundraiser

Taking a page from Andre Agassi and Tiger Woods, Oscar De La Hoya will host a musical celebration in Las Vegas in 2010 to raise money for his foundation, which helps children in De La Hoya’s hometown of East Los Angeles.

The original thought was to have a boxing extravaganza this September at the MGM Grand Garden to celebrate De La Hoya’s career. But such events take months of planning to line up entertainers and sponsors and promote and sell tickets, so the approach now is to take it slow and get right. No date has been set.

“We’re discussing doing a big event with music and celebrities to benefit the foundation,” said Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive officer.

Schaefer said he has had conversations with Richard Sturm, the MGM’s president of sports and entertainment, about coming to Las Vegas, and the two sides will discuss a date in the coming months.

The money raised would benefit De La Hoya’s education projects, cancer research and a to-be-determined charity in Las Vegas’ Latino community.

“Oscar has always had strong ties to Las Vegas, and he wants to help the (Latino) community there as well as in Los Angeles,” Schaefer said.

Agassi’s “Grand Slam for Children” and Woods’ “Tiger Jam” have been successful fundraising ventures in Las Vegas, raising millions of dollars for Agassi’s school in West Las Vegas and Woods’ foundation.

• PLAZA CARD — Dewey Cooper will face Cory Phelps in an eight-round cruiserweight bout that will be the main event of Guilty Boxing’s show Friday at the Plaza Hotel.

Cooper (17-3-3, 10 knockouts) is coming off consecutive losses to Arthur Williams, the latest Feb. 6 in Lemoore, Calif. Phelps (13-5-1, seven KOs) is coming off a loss to Tommy Karpency on Jan. 30 in Morgantown, W.Va.

Also on the card, welterweights Abdon Lozano (5-0, one KO) and Andre Georges (8-0, six KOs) will meet in a six-round bout. And six amateur mixed martial arts bouts will be fought.

The first bell is scheduled for 7 p.m.

• DONAIRE AT HARD ROCK — Nonito Donaire will meet Rafael Concepcion for the WBA interim super flyweight title, and Steve Lueveno will defend his WBO featherweight championship against Bernabe Concepcion on a Top Rank card Aug. 15 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The card will be televised on pay per view. Tickets, priced at $50, $100 and $200, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hard Rock.

Donaire (21-1, 14 KOs) is coming off an impressive fourth-round technical knockout of Raul Martinez on April 19 in Manila, Philippines. Rafael Concepcion (13-3-1, eight KOs), who is not related to Bernabe Concepcion, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Kermin Guardia on Feb. 3 in New York in his most recent fight.

Also on the card will be Cuban heavyweight Olander Solis, who is scheduled for a 10-round bout against an opponent to be determined.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.