De La Hoya, Managers Spar : Pro boxing: Restraining order refused as boxer engages in a tense standoff over his career only days before his next fight.

In a dramatic indication of the rising tension between Oscar De La Hoya and his two managers, the 20-year-old fighter Friday served them with papers seeking to restrain them from his presence.

But the restraining order--apparently charging managers Steve Nelson and Bob Mittleman with “physical harassment”--is not binding because a Los Angeles Superior Court judge refused to sign it after hearing presentations from attorneys on both sides.

The next step in this bitter standoff was unclear Friday evening, and the managers’ attorney, Martin A. Singer, said he knew of no further litigation pending.

But, binding order or not, it is clear that only days before De La Hoya is scheduled to fight Jesus Vidal Concepcion in New York and sign a multiyear, multimillion deal with HBO, and months before his first world title fight, his career is at a crossroad.

Unless peace is reached in the next few days, the next step for De La Hoya is expected to be an attempt to break his five-year, $1-million managerial contract with the two men.

Nelson and Mittleman downplayed Friday’s events.

“We’re in communication with various advisers to Oscar De La Hoya in regards to career decisions, and there are disagreements within the camp,” Nelson said. “We hope to resolve them.”

Asked if De La Hoya wishes to break their contract, Mittleman said: “No comment.”

De La Hoya was unavailable Friday.

Though the timing of the De La Hoya action was a surprise, friction between De La Hoya and co-managers Mittleman and Nelson had been growing in recent days. De La Hoya’s father, Joe, was seeking to solve the problems and apparently was surprised by his son’s actions.

The recent turmoil was highlighted by the hiring, then firing, this week of Carlos Ortiz to help Robert Alcazar train the Olympic gold-medal winning junior-lightweight.

Alcazar, probably De La Hoya’s closest adviser, apparently did not approve of the additional trainer, setting up Friday’s action. Ortiz, who was brought up Monday, left camp Thursday night after four tense workouts with De La Hoya and Alcazar.

“I think the Ortiz thing triggered it,” said Bob Arum, De La Hoya’s promoter.

Arum, who says he hopes no further legal steps are taken, said he understands that a major problem is that De La Hoya and Alcazar believe Mittleman and Nelson have been overbearing in controlling the fighter’s career.

“I know there’s been some friction,” Arum said. “But I wasn’t expecting this. I told Mittleman and Nelson: Hands off this thing. You can manage and do your job; you don’t have to be there night and day.

“I think most of it depends on everybody understanding what their roles are. Oscar, I think, believes that as far as his training is concerned, his conditioning is concerned, his sparring partners, that he and Alcazar can manage it.

“I think as far as his endorsements are concerned, he probably wants other people handling his endorsements.”

Mittleman and Nelson landed De La Hoya as a client in the months after his gold-medal performance in Barcelona, when De La Hoya walked away from what Shelly Finkel had understood was an oral agreement.

A possible result of the current situation might be Mittleman and Nelson continuing to be paid but having no say in De La Hoya’s career.