Emanuel Steward

Veteran trainer Emanuel Steward has been fired by World Boxing Council welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya because, according to Steward, De La Hoya's father, Joel, didn't approve of Steward's training methods. Mike Hernandez, De La Hoya's chief advisor, said the problem was that Steward, who also trains World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, couldn't give De La Hoya enough time. De La Hoya himself chose not to comment on Steward's departure.

Manny Pacquiao is surrounded by people who make his life easier: a personal chef, friends to entertain with karaoke, buddies who'll play darts and basketball and a business manager looking out for his financial interests. Pacquiao asks a favor, wants something done, and the answer is yes. Freddie Roach is the exception. Roach, a former journeyman boxer who trained at the foot of Joe Frazier's Hall of Fame cornerman Eddie Futch, is the honest voice in the ear of the world's top pound-for-pound boxer.

The Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood is musky and hot when trainer Emanuel Steward strolls in dressed for the near 100-degree heat all in beige, with matching loafers, slacks, open-collar shirt and no socks. His ensemble is accented with gold, including Rolex watch, bracelet, necklace and a ring commemorating his 1996 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood is musky and hot when trainer Emanuel Steward strolls in dressed for the near 100-degree heat all in beige, with matching loafers, slacks, open-collar shirt and no socks. His ensemble is accented with gold, including Rolex watch, bracelet, necklace and a ring commemorating his 1996 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Oscar De La Hoya fighting for Don King? Promoter Bob Arum says it isn't going to happen. He has a contract with the fighter. Surely, King would respect another man's contract. Surely, you jest. After De La Hoya attended the Evander Holyfield-Michael Moorer heavyweight championship fight a few weeks ago, King, a grin on his face, said, "If [De La Hoya] visits me one or two more times, rest assured, I will have Oscar."

When Thomas Hearns awoke Tuesday morning, he knew he had been in a fight. His body ached. His face was cut. But he still was able to crack a smile. After years of agonizing over his 1981 loss to Sugar Ray Leonard on a 14th-round knockout, Hearns believes he was exonerated by Monday night's 12-round super-middleweight bout that ended in a draw with Leonard. "Nobody knows what it means to go through life thinking things like I have," Hearns said at a news conference. "It's tough.

Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were between championships nearly three years ago when they fought on the same card at Madison Square Garden and Mike Tyson was boxing's main man. Holyfield and Lewis will be on the same card again Saturday, but this time they will fight each other before a sellout Garden crowd of more than 20,000 to establish who is the world's premier heavyweight.

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.

Manny Pacquiao is surrounded by people who make his life easier: a personal chef, friends to entertain with karaoke, buddies who'll play darts and basketball and a business manager looking out for his financial interests. Pacquiao asks a favor, wants something done, and the answer is yes. Freddie Roach is the exception. Roach, a former journeyman boxer who trained at the foot of Joe Frazier's Hall of Fame cornerman Eddie Futch, is the honest voice in the ear of the world's top pound-for-pound boxer.

On Monday night, one of two things is going to happen to the little monster that Thomas Hearns says has been following him around since 1981: --Hearns will make the little monster disappear. --The monster will become even more monstrous, and follow Hearns for all of his days. Hearns suffered a painful defeat to Sugar Ray Leonard here in 1981, and for more than seven years it has been eating away at him. "The little monster that follows me around," he calls it. His publicist and friend, Irving Rudd, described a conversation he had with Hearns one night in 1986, when it was beginning to look as if Hearns would never get his rematch with Leonard.

Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were between championships nearly three years ago when they fought on the same card at Madison Square Garden and Mike Tyson was boxing's main man. Holyfield and Lewis will be on the same card again Saturday, but this time they will fight each other before a sellout Garden crowd of more than 20,000 to establish who is the world's premier heavyweight.

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.

Oscar De La Hoya fighting for Don King? Promoter Bob Arum says it isn't going to happen. He has a contract with the fighter. Surely, King would respect another man's contract. Surely, you jest. After De La Hoya attended the Evander Holyfield-Michael Moorer heavyweight championship fight a few weeks ago, King, a grin on his face, said, "If [De La Hoya] visits me one or two more times, rest assured, I will have Oscar."

Veteran trainer Emanuel Steward has been fired by World Boxing Council welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya because, according to Steward, De La Hoya's father, Joel, didn't approve of Steward's training methods. Mike Hernandez, De La Hoya's chief advisor, said the problem was that Steward, who also trains World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, couldn't give De La Hoya enough time. De La Hoya himself chose not to comment on Steward's departure.

Lennox Lewis calls him "the trainer of champions," and Emanuel Steward accepts the praise from his largest fighter with a simple shrug. Why deny the obvious? Steward has been a force in boxing since exploding onto the scene with Thomas Hearns in the 1970s. But in the aftermath of Lewis' first-round knockout of Andrew Golota last Saturday and the continued rise of Oscar De La Hoya, Steward is riding as powerful a wave as any trainer has in years.

Even Emanuel Steward, the ultimate hands-on boxing trainer, has to admit that his hands are pretty full now. One hour he's busy with Evander Holyfield, the first man Steward has ever trained for a heavyweight championship bout. Next, he's in the ring with Thomas Hearns, the 35-year-old veteran of countless battles whom Steward has trained off and on for almost two decades. First, Steward is shepherding Hearns to a television interview, then he's back up to Holyfield's suite to make dinner.

Lennox Lewis calls him "the trainer of champions," and Emanuel Steward accepts the praise from his largest fighter with a simple shrug. Why deny the obvious? Steward has been a force in boxing since exploding onto the scene with Thomas Hearns in the 1970s. But in the aftermath of Lewis' first-round knockout of Andrew Golota last Saturday and the continued rise of Oscar De La Hoya, Steward is riding as powerful a wave as any trainer has in years.

Even Emanuel Steward, the ultimate hands-on boxing trainer, has to admit that his hands are pretty full now. One hour he's busy with Evander Holyfield, the first man Steward has ever trained for a heavyweight championship bout. Next, he's in the ring with Thomas Hearns, the 35-year-old veteran of countless battles whom Steward has trained off and on for almost two decades. First, Steward is shepherding Hearns to a television interview, then he's back up to Holyfield's suite to make dinner.

When Thomas Hearns awoke Tuesday morning, he knew he had been in a fight. His body ached. His face was cut. But he still was able to crack a smile. After years of agonizing over his 1981 loss to Sugar Ray Leonard on a 14th-round knockout, Hearns believes he was exonerated by Monday night's 12-round super-middleweight bout that ended in a draw with Leonard. "Nobody knows what it means to go through life thinking things like I have," Hearns said at a news conference. "It's tough.

On Monday night, one of two things is going to happen to the little monster that Thomas Hearns says has been following him around since 1981: --Hearns will make the little monster disappear. --The monster will become even more monstrous, and follow Hearns for all of his days. Hearns suffered a painful defeat to Sugar Ray Leonard here in 1981, and for more than seven years it has been eating away at him. "The little monster that follows me around," he calls it. His publicist and friend, Irving Rudd, described a conversation he had with Hearns one night in 1986, when it was beginning to look as if Hearns would never get his rematch with Leonard.