Whitaker-Chavez: They Meet at Last : Boxing: Previous promotions for Sept. 10 bout featured only one fighter.

Pernell Whitaker met Julio Cesar Chavez for the first time Tuesday at a news conference in Manhattan. In previous solo appearances in San Antonio, the site of the Sept. 10 fight for the designation as best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Whitaker’s comments indicated a complete lack of respect for Chavez, whose 87-0 record is the longest undefeated streak in boxing history.

But their first face-to-face meeting was notably different. Whitaker, whose World Boxing Council welterweight title is on the line, went to the podium when it was his turn to speak, offered his hand to Chavez and said, “I want to say hi to Mr. Chavez.”

Whitaker’s respectful demeanor did not escape the needle of Chavez’ promoter, Don King, who chided Whitaker for toning down his rhetoric. As usual, King’s rhetoric overwhelmed everything in its path as the promotion began the final push to sell tickets to a pay-per-view event that figures to be the fight of the year. King claimed 45,000 seats have been sold in the 75,000-seat Alamodome, which means there’s a lot more bombast to come.

But the real war of words will take place behind the scenes in the next two weeks as Whitaker’s manager, Lou Duva, negotiates with King’s side and WBC officials over the terms of the bout. His major concern is the ethnic background of the judges. Though both fighters are WBC champions, Duva is concerned that organization, which is run by Mexican Jose Sulaiman, will protect the interests of super-lightweight champ Chavez, a national hero in Mexico, and King.

Duva believes he was robbed twice before in WBC-sanctioned bouts involving Mexican opponents. He was managing Rocky Lockridge, who lost a controversial decision to Chavez in 1986 in Monte Carlo, and Whitaker’s only loss in 33 fights was suffered against Mexican Jose Luis Ramirez in a 1988 decision in Paris that Duva believed bordered on larceny.

“A lot of things concern me -- the judges, the referee, the knockdown rules,” Duva said. “I’m absolutely concerned about getting a Mexican as a referee or judge. How can you put any Mexican on the judges with nerve enough to vote against Chavez?”

The perception of King and Sulaiman as longtime boxing bedfellows is real for Duva. Asked about the potential for WBC bias against Whitaker, Duva said, “Didn’t it happen to me in Monte Carlo? Didn’t it happen in Paris?”

The rules and the judges are especially important to Whitaker, a dancer who relies on brilliant footwork and hand speed. Only 15 of his wins have been by knockout, which means his best chance to win is by a decision. Chavez is a warrior who destroys opponents with a brutal body attack. The winner likely will be the one who forces the other man to fight his fight.

Obviously, trying to draw Whitaker into slugging it out with him, Chavez ignored his opponent’s polite remarks in order to press his own verbal attack. “I don’t care if I get hit,” Chavez said through an interpreter. “I’m prepared to exchange punches with Whitaker or to chase him all night long. I know he’s very difficult to hit. I’m sure he’s never been hurt.

“I have nothing to prove because I’ve been hit with many punches, and I’ve been able to take it. On Sept. 10, the only way Whitaker can beat me is if he stays out of the ring.”

Nobody has beaten Chavez yet. That’s why it’s crucial for Duva to make sure Whitaker doesn’t have to fight the judges, as well as Chavez.