Ringing in the New

When Oscar De La Hoya steps into the ring tonight to defend his World Boxing Council welterweight championship at the Convention Hall, he’ll be looking into the face of Wilfredo Rivera, his fifth opponent in 1997.

When De La Hoya returns to his corner, he’ll be looking into the face of Gil Clancy, his third trainer this year.

Add Robert Alcazar, who has been with De La Hoya since the start of his professional career in 1992, and that makes four trainers.

Five fights, four trainers.

What’s wrong with this picture?

It would be understandable if De La Hoya had lost a few of those fights, if his career was unraveling.

Not the case.

De La Hoya goes into tonight’s 12-round main event with a 26-0 mark and 21 knockouts.

So what is the problem?

As De La Hoya’s stature grew and he became one of the biggest names in boxing, his inner circle began to think he needed more expertise than the inexperienced Alcazar could offer.

Exit Alcazar to a lesser role.

Enter Jesus Rivero, who was in De La Hoya’s corner for his January fight against Miguel Angel Gonzalez in Las Vegas. De La Hoya couldn’t heap enough praise on Rivero, a quiet, intellectual man old enough to be De La Hoya’s grandfather, wise enough, said the fighter, to introduce De La Hoya to a world beyond boxing, a world of philosophy and literature.

But “the Professor,” as De La Hoya fondly called him, soon found his classes canceled after De La Hoya had problems with his first two opponents of the year, both of whom went the distance.

Against Gonzalez, De La Hoya failed to use his right hand and backed off in the later rounds after suffering a bruise under one eye. Against left-hander Pernell Whitaker in April, De La Hoya, confused and frustrated by Whitaker’s southpaw style, struggled to win a close, controversial decision.

Exit Rivero.

Enter Emanuel Steward.

A veteran trainer who has worked with Tommy Hearns, Lennox Lewis and dozens of others, Steward decided that De La Hoya needed to be more aggressive.

De La Hoya was just that against David Kamau in June, scoring a second-round knockout. Against Hector Camacho in September, De La Hoya won another decision.

Then came Steward’s undoing: last month’s Evander Holyfield-Michael Moorer heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas. De La Hoya didn’t fight that night. He watched.

And afterward, Steward was fired, partly because he had allowed De La Hoya to leave training camp to attend the fight. There were also questions in the minds of De La Hoya’s father, Joel, and his advisor, Mike Hernandez, about Steward’s methods and his willingness to devote himself solely to De La Hoya.

Exit Steward.

Enter Gil Clancy.

Clancy, 75 and retired from training for the last 20 years, with the exception of one fight in 1990, comes aboard as a part-time trainer. He has given his advice over the phone, met De La Hoya on the East Coast this week and will be in the fighter’s corner tonight.

“How could you not love Gil?” asked Bob Arum, De La Hoya’s promoter and the man who recommended Clancy. “He has a tremendous wisdom about boxing. He’s not looking to shove Roberto aside. He just wants to be helpful.”

De La Hoya probably could use a little help tonight. Not that he is expected to have a particularly difficult fight. De La Hoya has been made a 9-1 favorite against Rivera, who is not as quick, mobile or defensively skilled.

But Rivera, a Puerto Rican, has a 27-2-1 record with 18 knockouts, both of those losses having been to Whitaker.

Rivera lost a split decision to Whitaker in April 1996, then lost a unanimous decision in the rematch a few months later, a fight in which both fighters went down.

“Rivera is the most dangerous puncher Oscar has faced in his whole life,” Steward, now only an observer, said. “Now that he has moved up in weight, Oscar is fighting guys who are taller and bigger. He has to diversify his technique so that he is not so predictable. He is moving into a whole different world. It’s like playing basketball in the neighborhood and suddenly you move into a bigger league.

“Oscar has got to move to another level as a fighter. He’s talented, but he still needs to learn.”

Rivera is obviously De La Hoya’s last opponent of the year. But don’t expect it to be the last time he switches trainers. Clancy is an interim solution.

Ultimately, De La Hoya’s handlers are looking for someone with more experience than Alcazar, more flexibility than Rivero and more devotion than Steward.

It could be a long search.

*

Terry Norris, tentatively penciled in on De La Hoya’s dance card for next June, also will be on tonight’s card, the second of three champions defending titles.

Norris (47-6, 31 knockouts), the WBC super-welterweight champion, puts up his crown against Keith Mullings (14-4-1, nine knockouts).

International Boxing Federation junior-middleweight champion Raul Marquez (28-0, 20 knockouts) will defend against Yory Boy Campas (68-2, 58 knockouts).

Mullings is taking his second consecutive shot at a championship. In his last fight, Sept. 13, he lost a split decision to Marquez.

Finally, as usual on an Arum card, there is comic relief in the bloated form of Butterbean. Eric Esch (34-1-1, 26 knockouts), who bills himself as the king of the four rounders, puts his bogus title on the line against Doug Phillips (6-1, four knockouts).