Oscar De La Hoya

Ever since Oscar De La Hoya stopped Julio Cesar Chavez in the fourth round at Caesars Palace in June 1996--Chavez had a deep cut over his left eye--Chavez has insisted he lost on a fluke. Only his hard-core followers believed him. But there apparently are enough of those to make promoter Bob Arum a believer in the financial soundness of a rematch.

Oscar De La Hoya will lose in his Septem- ber rematch against Julio Cesar Chavez by decision. Not by decision of the judges. Not by any- thing that happens in the ring. No, at issue here is the growing number of boxing critics and fans who have decided that De La Hoya doesn't want to fight anyone who has a reasonable chance of beating him. In their eyes, he has lost more prestige by agreeing to fight Chavez again. Is their decision a fair one? Not really.

More than 300 gathered at Olvera Street, despite midday heat that reached above 90 degrees Thursday, to see Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez promote their Sept. 18 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. The fight will be the second between World Boxing Council champion De La Hoya and Chavez. Their first fight two years ago was stopped in the fourth round because of cuts to the left eyebrow and face of Chavez.

One devastating left uppercut. That's all it took to split Oscar De La Hoya's left eyelid and knock him out of his fight Nov. 21 against Ike Quartey. The fight will be rescheduled--the tentative date is Feb. 13--at Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center. Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter, flew to De La Hoya's training site in Big Bear on Tuesday night to nail down the date and reassess the World Boxing Council welterweight champion's 1999 schedule.

An 18-year-old woman has filed a civil suit against World Boxing Council welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya, claiming that he raped and imprisoned her 2 1/2 years ago in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The woman, whose name has not been revealed, is asking for $10 million in damages, but her attorney, Lisa Maki, said, "I believe that we can get double that amount." Through his attorney, Martin Castillo, and his promoter, Bob Arum, De La Hoya denied the charges.

"For this guy, I have to be 100% in order to beat him," says Oscar De La Hoya, the World Boxing Council welterweight champ. "This guy" is Ike Quartey, a 28-year-old from Ghana, who's scheduled to meet De La Hoya on Feb. 13 in Las Vegas. Originally, the fight was set for Saturday. Now, De La Hoya will have a few more months of training to be 100% ready.

It has been two years since Oscar De La Hoya stopped Julio Cesar Chavez in the fourth round of their showdown match. Tonight, Chavez steps back into the ring for the rematch, two years slower, two years farther over the hill, two more years of wear and tear heaped on a body that has been abused outside the ring and pounded within the ropes.

Three days before Friday night's World Boxing Council welterweight title fight at the Thomas & Mack Center, Oscar De La Hoya already had his game face on. But Barry Markman managed to break through, temporarily wiping the scowl off De La Hoya's face Wednesday, if only for an instant. All it took was the news that Julio Cesar Chavez has an unmarked face. "All the cuts are healed," said Markham, a physician who examined Chavez. "The scars are imperceptible. His skin looks great."

Having completed my assignment, which was to visit the training camp of Julio Cesar Chavez and discern his strategy for Friday's rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, I offer the following conclusions: He will attempt to run. He will attempt to hide. He will eat expensive ice cream. He will party hard. What Julio Cesar Chavez will not do, apparently, is box. During my 24 hours at his training site last month, not once did he pick up a glove.

Two extraordinary boxing events occurred within 24 hours here this weekend, one that left virtually everyone satisfied and another that left virtually no one satisfied. Boxing, which customarily serves one disaster after another to its public, should not complain about a draw.