Leiweke Wants Hahn’s Help

Staples Center President Tim Leiweke, determined to stage the Sept. 13 boxing rematch between Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley, will ask Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to join the effort.

Promoter Bob Arum raised the idea of civic aid in a Friday meeting with Leiweke in Las Vegas after Leiweke had offered $7 million to $8 million to land the fight. Two Las Vegas hotel-casinos, Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand, are also in the bidding.

Staples Center paid a site fee of $5.5 million for the first De La Hoya-Mosley fight in June 2000.

“We came out with our guns blazing,” Leiweke said of Friday’s meeting. “We cut to the chase and made the largest offer ever for a boxing match in L.A. But we are going to need help out of the mayor’s office. We are going to ask them to put their resources behind this, using their assets and their marketing and promotional vehicles, making this a big event for Los Angeles.”

Arum said he would be making the same request of the Las Vegas Convention Authority.

“We are not asking for public funds to promote the fight,” he said. “We are asking for a commitment to promote the city in conjunction with the fight.”

There was no one in Hahn’s office available for immediate response.

Another issue is hotel rooms. Those come as part of the package in Las Vegas. Leiweke, on the other hand, will have to negotiate with downtown hotels in Los Angeles for cut rates for the fighters, their entourages, promotional personnel, boxing officials and visiting media.

Arum said he would talk further with Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand officials, but insisted he would not “turn this into an auction.”

A final decision, said Arum, may not be made until February.

-- Steve Springer

Miscellany

Serena Williams, who won three of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments and 56 of 61 matches overall, was honored as the Associated Press female athlete of the year.

She received 53 first-place votes and 351 points from Associated Press member newspapers and broadcasters across the country. Golfer Annika Sorenstam was next, with 27 first-place votes and 193 points, followed by Olympic champion figure skater Sarah Hughes, 12 and 158.

“My game has matured, and mentally, I’ve just matured to another level,” Williams said. “That is a major factor in it. Some people mature really late.”

She turned 21 in September.

Playing in only 13 tournaments, Williams won a tour-best eight titles and took home a record $3.6 million.

Williams was a runner-up twice and never missed gaining the quarterfinals.

Sorenstam won 11 of her 23 events on the LPGA Tour, finishing out of the top 10 only three times.

She set records for lowest scoring average, 68.7, and earnings, $2.8 million.

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The New York Mets found their temporary replacement for shortstop Rey Ordonez, agreeing to a one-year deal with free agent Rey Sanchez.

Sanchez’s deal will be completed if he passes a physical Monday.

Sanchez hit .286 with one homer and 38 runs batted in in 107 games last season for Boston.

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New Zealand’s Alfa Romeo maintained a lead of more than 20 nautical miles over the rest of the field at Australia in the Sydney to Hobart sailing race.

Alfa Romeo was 22 nautical miles ahead of second-place Canon Leopard from Britain.

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Jennifer Rodriguez won the first of two 1,000-meter sprints this weekend at the U.S. Speedskating Long Distance Championships at Kearns, Utah.

She also finished second in the first of two 500-meter races.

In the men’s races, Joey Cheek won the 500-meter race in 35.30 seconds, with Nick Pearson second in 35.72 and Chris Callis third in 36.08 seconds.

In the 1,000, Cheek was first in 1 minute 8.6 seconds, followed by Callis, 1:09.34, and Pearson, 1:10.

Passings

Ward Cuff, an all-purpose running back who helped the New York Giants win the NFL title in 1938, died Tuesday in Vallejo, Calif. He was 89.