26-0 Record Doesn’t Cure All for Mayweather Jr.

Where have you gone, Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

Bob Arum turns his lonely eyes to you.

Three years ago, the eyes of the boxing world were on Mayweather. At 21, he was already the World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion. He was clean-cut with a pleasant personality and an infectious smile.

He was confident to the point of cockiness, but not obnoxious. And he had earned the right to that confidence, beating Genaro Hernandez to win the title and Angel Manfredy in his first defense. Most boxing observers predicted that both those opponents would have too much experience and polish for Mayweather, who had only 17 fights to that point.

In addition to his success, Mayweather had a poignant story. He came from a fighting family, which included his father, Floyd Sr., and uncles Roger and Jeff. He was reunited with his father, who was back in his corner after spending five years in a federal prison for drug dealing.

It was a feel-good story, the kind too often absent in boxing.

It certainly brought a smile to the face of Arum, Mayweather’s promoter, who always sought stars who could one day replace his franchise fighter, Oscar De La Hoya.

Three years later, Mayweather still hasn’t lost. He’ll take a 26-0 record with 19 knockouts into the ring tonight at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, where he’ll defend his title against Jesus Chavez (35-1, 24 knockouts), the WBC’s No. 1 contender.

But the boxing world will pay scant attention. The fight is in San Francisco rather than Las Vegas because Arum couldn’t get a large site fee in boxing’s hub city. Most of the national media won’t be there. That’s partly because Chavez is not a highly regarded opponent.

But the biggest problem is Mayweather. Over that past three years he has:

* failed to fight a major opponent with the exception of Diego Corrales last January.

* looked ordinary at times.

* hired music promoter James Prince as his manager, resulting in an ugly feud with his father and harsh negotiations with HBO.

* initially rejected a three-year, six-fight deal for $12.75 million from HBO, labeling the money “slave wages.”

* fired his father, who was serving as his trainer, evicted him from a home on which Junior was paying the rent and took back a van he had given the senior Mayweather.

* threatened to retire if he couldn’t make “Oscar” money, referring to the tens of millions of dollars earned by De La Hoya.

* hurt his hands, reducing his effectiveness in recent fights.

* postponed the Chavez fight until tonight after having wisdom teeth removed.

The last item, of course, is minor. A lack of wisdom teeth isn’t going to hurt anyone. A lack of wisdom, however, has severely damaged Mayweather’s once bright image.

He isn’t even the most popular Floyd Mayweather anymore. His father resurrected his career by signing as De La Hoya’s trainer and resurrecting the spirit of the Golden Boy, who had become so disenchanted with boxing that he took a nine-month hiatus from the sport.

Junior’s statements don’t help.

He now says the difficulty with his hands may be chronic and hereditary: “Both my uncles, Roger and Jeff, had bad hands.” And he acknowledges those paying to see him won’t always get his best: “I fight according to the competition. You look good, I’ll look good. You look great, I’ll look great.”

And if you look bad, apparently he’ll look bad.

Such talk has to grate on Arum, but what can he say?

Mayweather is no longer his hope for the future. With De La Hoya having switched promoters and no other big names to put on the marquee of Arum’s Top Rank boxing organization, Mayweather is his only hope at the moment.

The Titanium Boy?

Sitting in the recovery room at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Inglewood, De La Hoya beamed the smile that has launched a thousand ad campaigns.

Holding up his left hand, encased in bandages, he said, “They’ve put a strip of titanium in there.”

Just kidding.

But De La Hoya seriously thinks the surgery he underwent Thursday for torn cartilage and bone spurs on his hand will make him more effective in the ring.

“It will definitely cause a big change in my attitude,” said De La Hoya, who has fought with the tear for the last three years. “I will be going into the ring pain-free, and that will be a big relief.”

The surgery forced the cancellation of De La Hoya’s Dec. 8 defense of his World Boxing Council super-welterweight title against top contender Roman Karmazin at the Olympic Auditorium.

With May 4 already reserved for his next fight, De La Hoya is hoping the WBC will allow him to bypass Karmazin in order to take on a major opponent. His first choice? At this moment, it appears to be Bernard Hopkins.

Quick Jabs

Also on tonight’s Mayweather-Chavez card, Manny Pacquiao (33-2, 24 knockouts) of the Philippines, the International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight champion, and Agapito Sanchez (33-7-1, 20) of the Dominican Republic, the World Boxing Organization champion, will fight a title unification bout. And in a preliminary four-rounder, lightweight Dmitriy Salita (3-0, 3) will face Mahan Washington 14-14, 2) ....The eighth annual Fight for Life boxing tournament, matching members of the Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, will be held Friday at the Olympic Auditorium. Proceeds will go to the City of Hope.