De La Hoya Says He’ll Countersue

Former welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya, sued by former business manager Mike Hernandez for breach of contract Thursday, said through his attorneys Friday that he never signed the disputed contract and will now countersue for millions of dollars he claims Hernandez owes him.

“There are substantial questions about the propriety of Hernandez’s actions when he was acting as financial advisor for Oscar,” said Bob Arum, De La Hoya’s promoter. “Hernandez’s suit is totally ridiculous. If anything, he owes Oscar considerable money because of the actions he took when serving as Oscar’s advisor.”

Responded Mark Polan, Hernandez’s attorney: “We are shocked that Bob Arum would say that. Every check of Oscar’s is accounted for. Mr. Hernandez didn’t really handle the money. The financial people who did handle the money for Mr. Hernandez were recommended by Bob Arum, and they did an excellent job of increasing Oscar De La Hoya’s portfolio.”

Hernandez, a Monterey Park auto dealer, took over De La Hoya’s affairs in late 1993 and remained in control until he was fired last May. In his suit, Hernandez claims he and De La Hoya agreed, six months before his firing, to a five-year deal that gave Hernandez 10% of De La Hoya’s earnings.