THE SHOWDOWN: BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE DE LA HOYA-RUELAS FIGHT : RAFAEL RUELAS : He Has the Edge in Previous Bouts

Don’t put too much stock in the three amateur meetings between Ruelas and De La Hoya.

Ruelas said those fights will have no bearing on Saturday’s lightweight showdown at Caesars Palace.

“All that was when we were kids,” Ruelas said. “The first one was when I was about 13. It’s not three rounds anymore. It’s smaller gloves. There’s no headgear.

For what it’s worth, Ruelas said he took two of three bouts from De La Hoya.

“The last two,” Ruelas said. “The thing is our styles have remained the same. He’s kept his style, I’ve kept mine.”

What does Ruelas remember about the fights?

“They were fights when I went after him,” Ruelas said.

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Who better to cook goose than a Goossen?

Chris Goossen, 22-year-old son of Dan, who manages the Ruelas brothers, was hired as a personal chef for the fighters during their training camp in Big Bear.

Goossen is a graduate of the Los Angeles Culinary Institute, where he studied under master chefs of the world. After this stint, Goossen has a job waiting for him at “Modada,” a restaurant on Melrose Avenue.

What do boxers eat?

“Pasta, steak, whatever they feel like,” Goossen said. “They can pretty much eat anything they want until now, when we’ll start to cut down their portions.”

Goossen was not offended that the Ruelases recently spurned his dinner menus in favor of a local Mexican-American woman they found who cooked authentic dishes.

“I think I’m a pretty damn good cook,” Goossen said.