TURNING POINT

There were three big winners Saturday night in this gambling mecca--Don King, Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley.

And two big losers, Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum.

“The lights are going out in Arumville,” chortled King after the fighter he promotes, Trinidad, won a majority decision over De La Hoya, the franchise player of Arum’s Top Rank boxing organization.

King’s declaration is a slight exaggeration. And isn’t that a surprise. At 26, with only one loss to tarnish his otherwise golden career, De La Hoya still figures to have a lot of fight left in him. And Arum still has other champions, like Floyd Mayweather and Erik Morales, to promote.

But there is no denying that Saturday night’s decision at the Mandalay Bay Events Center has turned the boxing world upside down.

A day later, the aftershocks are still rumbling through a sport where unexpected twists and unwanted detours are the rule.

--THE WINNERS: Last spring, King’s many enemies were doing the chortling. The end finally seemed at hand for the slippery promoter who has made more comebacks than Bill Clinton.

King was coming off the controversial draw between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis in a fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Charges that King influenced the decision triggered a series of investigations. A grand jury in Newark was closing in on King. His biggest cash cow, Mike Tyson, deserted him. Holyfield’s career seemed about over. Trinidad couldn’t get out of the shadow of De La Hoya.

But now, another close decision has vaulted King back into command.

And if Holyfield should beat Lewis in their November rematch, King’s comeback will be complete.

Ironically, the close decision that benefited King came in Las Vegas, considered De La Hoya’s home turf. The Nevada State Athletic Commission silenced all those who insinuated that their judges will always favor De La Hoya, the man who can generate more money for Vegas than any nonheavyweight around.

“This is the greatest city in the world,” King said, “the greatest commission, the greatest judges. This was a fight of good over evil.

“If you listen to Bob Arum, he wants to take the judges to the guillotine.”

Although the entire commonwealth of Puerto Rico was waiting to greet Trinidad with a hug of its collective arms Sunday, he remained in Las Vegas long enough to meet with media.

And, after taking his shots at De La Hoya Saturday night, Trinidad couldn’t resist taking one more on Sunday in a news conference at the Las Vegas Hilton.

“Oscar is quick and fast with the hands,” Trinidad said through an interpreter, “but he showed me last night that the nickname Chicken De La Hoya is deserved.”

Trinidad was referring to the fact that De La Hoya quit fighting and backpedaled in the final three rounds, thus giving away the lead he had amassed on the judges’ scorecards.

Had De La Hoya hung onto that lead, he was expected to give up his World Boxing Council 147-pound title and the International Boxing Federation 147-pound title he won from Trinidad and move to 154 pounds. Lucrative fights awaited De La Hoya with David Reid, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, and Fernando Vargas, a fellow Southern California Mexican-American, who needs only hear De La Hoya’s name to begin anew his mantra of disrespect for the East Los Angeles product.

But according to those around him Saturday night, De La Hoya will stay at 147 pounds for now.

And that probably means a fight with Mosley, who comes from Pomona.

“We are interested in Mosley and perhaps a rematch with Ike Quartey,” Arum said after Saturday’s fight.

Before Mosley can think about a golden payday against the Golden Boy, he has a big test Saturday night when he jumps two weight classes, from 135 to 147, to take on a formidable challenger, Wilfredo Rivera, in Temecula, Calif. If the unbeaten Mosley shows he belongs at 147 by beating Rivera, look for he and De La Hoya to meet, perhaps late next spring.

--THE LOSERS: De La Hoya’s mood shifted back and forth Saturday night in the hours after the fight. At the news conference, he seemed upbeat. He smiled, he laughed and he blasted the decision, even pulling out a sheet detailing the punch stats to show that he had the edge on Trinidad in terms of punches delivered.

But then, he also talked about examining his options and perhaps taking a year off.

There are many options, many questions, but no clear answers.

While others talk about a Mosley fight or a rematch with Trinidad, De La Hoya must first look inward at himself and his camp. There has always been turmoil on Team De La Hoya, with managers and trainers coming and going. But, in the end, everything always came out right.

This time it didn’t. And De La Hoya, who earned a guaranteed $21 million Saturday night, and has contracts with a long list of sponsors, must figure out where he went wrong if he hopes to hang onto both his financial empire and his grip on the public.

Could trainer Robert Alcazar or trainer/advisor Gil Clancy have given better advice in the corner?

“I thought Oscar was so far ahead,” Clancy said, “that the only way he could lose was on a knockout. I thought it wasn’t necessary for him to win the last three rounds.”

If Clancy told De La Hoya that in the corner, he may well be fired. And probably should be.

Alcazar said he told De La Hoya after the 10th round that he had to pick up the pace.

But could De La Hoya do that? He looked as if he had nothing left. He acknowledged he was tired at the end. His strategy was brilliant, dancing, jabbing and moving to stay away from the powerful Trinidad. But it turned out to be a good nine-round strategy. De La Hoya learned he couldn’t dance for 12 rounds.

He trained uncharacteristically long for this fight, going three months. Did he overtrain?

Questions, questions.

As for Arum, he now must do the most distasteful thing imaginable for him. He must now deal with King if there is to be a rematch.

“We don’t need a rematch,” Arum said. “Oscar is still the champion. People know that.”

Alcazar agreed.

“We can just go up to 154 pounds and then 160 and then Oscar can retire,” Alcazar said. “Oscar doesn’t need Trinidad.”

Don’t you believe it. This blot on De La Hoya’s career will never be erased. De La Hoya’s place in history will never be assured unless he can meet and beat Trinidad.

But Trinidad also needs De La Hoya. Trinidad made $10.5 million Saturday night. That is $8 million more than he earned previously. He won’t make that much with anybody else.

King says the rematch will happen when Arum agrees to reverse the two figures, Trinidad getting the $21 million and De La Hoya the $10.5. Arum says the rematch won’t happen unless the purses remain the same.

The bell has rung on the negotiations, which may take a year. In the meantime look for Trinidad to fight World Boxing Assn. welterweight champion James Page to unify the division while De La Hoya takes on Mosley and Quartey.

And sometime late next year, look for De La Hoya and Trinidad to do it all over again on the night when the lights come back on in Arumville.