De La Hoya Schedule May Need a Change

Should Oscar De La Hoya beat Pernell Whitaker on Saturday, promoter Bob Arum already has penciled in David Kamau as De La Hoya’s next opponent. Arum has reserved San Antonio’s Alamodome for June 14 for that match.

But that fight is in limbo now after Kamau suffered a cut over his left eye in a Wednesday night fight in Las Vegas. Kamau won a majority decision over Juan Rodriguez despite the injury.

Beyond June, Arum also is planning a match for De La Hoya in September against Hector Camacho, and in December, possibly in Tokyo, against a still-undetermined opponent.

*

De La Hoya has never been popular with a segment of the Mexican-American community and Shelly Finkel, Whitaker’s co-manager, offers a theory about the cause behind those feelings.

“Everything he says seems programmed,” Finkel said. “I think they don’t like Oscar because they see him as too clean, too neat, too phony.”

Finkel, it should be mentioned, sued De La Hoya to recover money Finkel laid out in De La Hoya’s amateur days with the hope, futile as it turned out, that De La Hoya would sign a pro contract with him.

*

De La Hoya says he won’t be flustered or intimidated--as some of Whitaker’s opponents have been--if Whitaker starts clowning around in the ring and winging behind-the-back punches.

“This guy walks into the ring, dances up and down; that’s not a classy boxer,” De La Hoya said.

“If he hits me behind the back, I’m going to do it right back to him, that’s for sure. If I have to be dirty in this fight, I will be.”

And what will he do to counter a patented Whitaker move--ducking his head down near his knees, daring his opponent to lunge down to get him?

“If he starts going down, I’m just going to push him,” De La Hoya said. “Nobody has ever done that--I don’t know why.”

*

De La Hoya, who only three years ago weighed 128 pounds, moves up to 147 pounds to face Whitaker for the World Boxing Council welterweight title he has held for more than four years.

“I was concerned about the extra pounds,” De La Hoya said. “I thought it would slow me down or I would not have the same power. But I feel faster and stronger. The weight has made me better.”

*

Whitaker blames his recent poor showings on being bored and not having any challenges. For De La Hoya, he trained for eight weeks and claims to feel like he did six or seven years ago when he dominated the lightweight ranks as the undisputed champion.

“The way my legs have come back I don’t know if he can keep up with my agility and movement and the different looks I will show him,” Whitaker said. “Not even for [Julio Cesar] Chavez have I felt as good as I feel for this fight.”

*

A veteran crew was named Thursday to officiate the fight: referee Mills Lane, and judges Chuck Giampa, Jerry Roth and Dalby Shirley, all of Nevada.

*

A lesser title will also be on the line Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. Paulie Ayala (20-0, eight knockouts) will defend his North American Boxing Federation bantamweight title against Nestor Lopez (16-2-2, 14 knockouts).

Also on the card will be Butterbean, an obligatory part of seemingly every Arum boxing show.

Known as Eric Esch in his pre-circus days, Butterbean (29-1, 23 knockouts) will face Ed White (4-1, one knockout) in a four-rounder.

*

The Associated Press contributed to this story.