Scenario: No Visas, No Fight

Oscar De La Hoya thought he was attending a Century City news conference Wednesday to promote his Dec. 8 fight against Roman Karmazin of Russia at the Olympic Auditorium.

What he discovered when he got there, however, was that there might not even be a fight because of visa problems, although both sides remain hopeful the problem will be solved.

Upset that his two trainers, his manager and his doctor have not been allowed into this country, Karmazin is threatening to return to Russia to train.

Karmazin’s promoter, Frank Maloney, went even further, saying he couldn’t guarantee the fight would happen.

“He’s not going to training camp if he can’t understand anybody there,” Maloney said.

Trainers Kuanysh Ukhasov of Kazakhstan and Igor Lebedev of Russia, as well as manager Igor Schafer and Dr. Oleg Dolgov, also of Russia, have all been denied entry, but all are continuing to work through diplomatic channels.

“The visas are much harder to obtain since Sept. 11 [terrorist attacks],” Karmazin said through a translator. “Everybody is on alert.”

Said Maloney, “If the authorities are that concerned, they can come to the fight and, when it is over, escort everybody back to the airport.”

Or, said Maloney, “If Oscar gets rid of his trainers, we can all start even.”

Don’t bet on that.

And don’t bet on the fight being canceled. Karmazin, though 28-0-1 with 18 knockouts, has spent his career far from the world boxing spotlight, appearing in the United States only once.

Now, having risen to the No. 1 spot among contenders for De La Hoya’s World Boxing Council super-welterweight title, it seems unlikely he would pass up a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even if he had to train himself.

Still, De La Hoya, on learning of the problem, didn’t minimize it.

“For a fighter not to have his trainer here is a very serious problem,” De La Hoya said. “But hopefully, it will be resolved. He’s a professional and I’m confident it will happen.”

And why not? Whether Karmazin has a trainer, he will get paid. And he will lose.