Christy Martin

Loyalty and money weren't enough to keep Miami from bolting the Big East Conference. The Hurricanes believe their future is more secure in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ending a seven-week courtship, Miami accepted Monday the ACC's invitation, rejecting a better financial offer from the Big East to stay put. "Ready or not, here we come," Miami President Donna Shalala told Clemson President James Barker.

Staples Center has thrown its ring into the hat. With an announcement on the April 6 heavyweight title fight between champion Lennox Lewis and challenger Mike Tyson planned for Tuesday, promoters are still working on a site. Gary Shaw, Lewis' promoter, met earlier this week with Staples Center president Tim Leiweke, who has expressed serious interest in the bout. How interested the Lewis-Tyson promoters are in Staples remains to be seen.

Gentlemen, start your hype. Like every good warmup act in every showroom up and down The Strip, Scott Walker and Darryl Tyson whetted the audience's appetite for the headline performers and then made a quick exit Friday night at the Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion. Each fell in the second round of their respective fights, against Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, to clear the stage for the act everyone wants to see: Chavez against De La Hoya on June 7.

There are 4,000 reasons for the Kings to make that rumored trade for Luc Robitaille. That was the number of empty seats in the Forum Saturday night even though the Kings' opponent was Stanley Cup champion Colorado. There are 13.69 million reasons for the Kings not to make the trade. That's the number of dollars the Kings would have to pay Robitaille over the next four seasons, not including the large portion of his $2.9-million salary they would owe for the remainder of this season.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe pleaded guilty Thursday to abducting his estranged wife and children at knifepoint from their Charlotte, N.C., home. He faces at least 18 to 24 months in prison. Bowe pleaded guilty to interstate domestic violence. Under the plea bargain, he will get a lighter sentence than the 10-year maximum. He will be sentenced within three months. Bowe, 30, of Fort Washington, Md., showed up at his wife Judy's home Feb.

Sharmba Mitchell retained his World Boxing Association super-lightweight title Saturday night at the MCI Center in Washington with a decision over Reggie Green in a bout influenced by open scoring. Because scores were given on a round-by-round basis, it was apparent that only a knockout in the 12th round would prevent Mitchell from successfully defending his title for a third time. "I played it safe at the end, even though he was punching hard," Mitchell said.

Memo to Oscar De La Hoya: Felix Trinidad is still out there and he still wants you. But beware. He's bigger and better than ever. Fighting at 154 pounds for the first time, Trinidad smashed David Reid to the canvas four times Friday night, opened a large cut over Reid's right eye and added yet another belt to his collection, capturing Reid's World Boxing Assn. super-welterweight title by unanimous decision before a sellout crowd of 10,100 in an outdoor arena at Caesars Palace.

Arena Football League officials and the player's union have renegotiated a collective bargaining agreement that could provide the indoor game with labor peace through 2010. In the agreement, the Arena Football League Players Assn. made several short-term financial concessions, including agreeing to keep the league's salary cap at $1.64 million per team through the 2003 season.

Heavyweight Tommy Morrison was informed Saturday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he tested positive for HIV, a source told The Times. Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, would say only that Morrison had been "medically suspended" at 1 p.m. Saturday, about six hours before his scheduled 10-round fight against Arthur Weathers at the MGM Grand Hotel. "At this time, he [Morrison] is suspended around the world," Ratner said.

Evander Holyfield was the last to know. The fighter always is. On Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Holyfield learned what much of the rest of the boxing world has already known: At age 38, he is a shot fighter. The message was delivered by John Ruiz, who won a unanimous decision in front of a crowd of 8,333 to capture the World Boxing Assn. heavyweight crown. Ruiz, a Puerto Rican, thus becomes the first Latino heavyweight champion.