De La Hoya Has Made a Habit of Ruining Fights of the Year

Here we go again with a new year.

Which means another spring.

Which means another big Oscar De La Hoya fight.

Which means months of hype, of elaborate tours, of endless news conferences and fist-shaking and big talk leading to a huge emotional high.

Which means another disappointing letdown?

It could.

The spring of 1995 was dominated by the buildup of De La Hoya’s bout against Rafael Ruelas, matching two Southern California fighters in the biggest such showdown in two decades.

But it turned out to be no match. De La Hoya, clearly stronger, finished off the outclassed Ruelas in the second round.

In the spring of 1996, it was De La Hoya against Julio Cesar Chavez, the Mexican legend against the heir apparent. For hype, this one made De La Hoya-Ruelas look like a sparring session. De La Hoya and Chavez flew across the country in twin jets, promoting their epic battle.

But it wasn’t epic. Many believed that Chavez, fighting for the 100th time, had already hung around 20 fights longer than he should have. He entered the ring hiding the fact that he had already been cut in training. That didn’t stay secret long. De La Hoya quickly opened the wound, and quickly finished off Chavez. The one-sided match was stopped in the fourth round.

Now comes the spring of 1997 and another potential De La Hoya blockbuster, against World Boxing Council welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker April 12 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Is this another case of an opponent who has hung around too long? Until recently, Whitaker was up for consideration as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

An Olympic gold medalist in the lightweight division in 1984, Whitaker leaped into the pro ranks without missing a jab, going on to win six world titles while compiling a 40-1-1 record with 17 knockouts.

He hasn’t lost in almost a decade, his lone defeat having been a 12-round decision against Jose Ramirez in 1988 in Paris. Whitaker’s draw was a controversial decision in a 1993 match against Chavez.

But lately, Whitaker has struggled. He had to work hard to win both of his 1996 fights, both decisions over Wilfredo Rivera.

And last week, heading into the 11th round of his match in Atlantic City against Diobelys Hurtado, a 10-1 underdog, Whitaker needed more than hard work to avoid his second defeat and the possible cancellation of his huge payday against De La Hoya. Having already been knocked down twice and behind on all the judges’ scorecards, Whitaker needed a knockout.

Watching the fight at ringside, De La Hoya had his fingers crossed.

“And my toes,” he said.

Whitaker’s fists, however, prevailed. He stopped Hurtado in the 11th round, saving the De La Hoya fight. But did Whitaker lose too much in credibility? At 33, does he have enough left to challenge De La Hoya?

Veteran trainer Lou Duva, in town this week as part of a North American promotional tour by his fighter, Whitaker, and De La Hoya, says the old Whitaker will be back in the ring April 12.

“He’s been the best fighter in the world for the last 10 years,” Duva said. “But he needs challenges. He’s been sort of stuck in a rut. He’s had trouble getting motivated. Lack of competition has been his greatest problem.”

Whitaker shrugs off last week’s lackluster performance.

“When I need it, I can produce,” he said. “I save my best for the last. The thing about a champion is that he knows how to finish a show. I finished the show.

“I’ve spoiled you people so much that it scares you when I’m behind. I’m the best in the world and I will be until somebody knocks me off my pedestal.”

Tough talk, but then we’ve heard it all before. The last two springs.

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Add De La Hoya: Although he remained unbeaten at 23-0 by winning a unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Gonzalez two weeks ago at Las Vegas, winning nine of the 12 rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, De La Hoya wasn’t pleased with his outing.

For one thing, he couldn’t put the solid Gonzalez away, although De La Hoya rocked him with enough jabs and left hooks to have left a lesser man unable to remember his name. For another thing, De La Hoya uncharacteristically wound up on the receiving end of the night’s most damaging punch, his left eye swollen nearly shut by a solid right.

Asked to grade his performance, De La Hoya, with still a spot of blood in his left eye to remind him of Gonzalez, replied, “C-minus.”

Part of the problem, De La Hoya said, was rustiness, caused by a seven-month layoff. Tendinitis in his left shoulder had idled De La Hoya since the Chavez fight last June.

“I know I can do better,” De La Hoya said. “My timing and my reflexes were off. The snap wasn’t there.”

Neither was De La Hoya’s right hand. He rarely threw it, but he scoffs at reports that he had injured it.

“There is zero chance that is true,” he said. “My right hand was ready.”

But after De La Hoya got caught by the right from Gonzalez, he admitted there was zero chance he was going to leave himself open to a right counterpunch by using his own right hand. Especially when the left was so effective.

De La Hoya kept saying before the Gonzalez fight that he wasn’t looking ahead to Whitaker, but now, he admits, that wasn’t exactly true, even though Gonzalez was unbeaten at 41-0.

“I had just fought Chavez,” De La Hoya said. “Then, there was Whitaker coming up. Gonzalez was in the middle and I didn’t take him as seriously as I should have.”

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Last add De La Hoya: Regardless of how De La Hoya and Whitaker look, one thing seems assured: The site will be spectacular.

With Caesars Palace undergoing renovation, the location in the back normally reserved for fights is unavailable. So Caesars officials have decided instead to stage the event on the front lawn.

Seriously.

The fountains will be temporarily removed from the area fronting Las Vegas Boulevard to make way for a 10,000-seat stadium. Since all those seats have already been sold, there is a chance more will be added.

But there is no chance of catching the fight while strolling by. A large barricade will limit the view to paying customers only.

Boxing Notes

Forum Boxing stages a Monday night show next week at the Pond of Anaheim. The main event will be a North American Boxing Organization featherweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez (18-1, 13 knockouts) and Cedric Mingo (22-7-1, 10 knockouts). Also on the card will be super-bantamweight sensation Nestor Garza (25-0, 21 knockouts) against Juan Manuel Chavez (22-15, 12 knockouts) in a 10-round match. . . . Levi Billups (19-12, 11 knockouts) against Everton Davis (13-7, nine knockouts) will be one of six heavyweight matches on the card Thursday at the Beverly Hilton.

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Calendar

Monday--Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Cedric Mingo, NABO featherweight title fight; Nestor Garza vs. Juan Manuel Chavez, super-bantamweights, Pond of Anaheim, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday--Levi Billups vs. Everton Davis, heavyweights, Beverly Hilton, 7:30 p.m.