AGING WHITAKER DESERVES TO GET BENEFIT OF DOUBT.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL

What are we to make of Pernell Whitaker's mediocre performance against Wilfredo Rivera on April 12?

The WBC welterweight champion, long considered among the best fighters pound-for-pound, barely squeaked by the previously unbeaten, but hardly well-known challenger from Puerto Rico - if he won at all - and looked rather lame in doing it.

Whitaker's performance seemed to confirm what many are thinking, that one of the past decade's great champions, now 32, is fading fast.

Of course, this is logical. He fought well in the first half of the Rivera bout but inexplicably struggled in the latter rounds. He was sluggish, inactive, a mess.

The split-decision victory was greeted with boos that hurt Whitaker a lot more than the grotesque lump above his eye.

In post-fight interviews, he was overly defensive when his performance was criticized. He said he believed he was in control the entire fight but, clearly, he wasn't. And he had to know it. Everyone else did.

Perhaps the result can be attributed in part to lack of motivation. It wouldn't be the first time a proven champion had difficulty getting up for seemingly easy prey.

Still, he looked terrible and great fighters aren't supposed to look terrible.

Of course, Whitaker probably will get an excellent opportunity to prove everyone wrong.

He's expected to fight either WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey or IBF champ Felix Trinidad, two up-and-comers bubbling with talent, sometime soon. (It had better be soon.)

If he beats whomever he fights first - and, in spite of the Rivera debacle, he would have a decent chance - it will be exceedingly difficult to write him off.

Let's wait before we do so. As great as Whitaker has been, he deserves as much.

Check it out: This might be a first: A company is marketing a series of personal checks emblazoned with the image of Julio Cesar Chavez and his autograph.

In light of Chavez's reputation as a big spender, the venture somehow seems appropriate. In light of the amount of money in his bank account, though, it's too bad the signature is printed everywhere on the checks except on the dotted line.

Chavez is scheduled to fight Oscar De La Hoya on June 7.

Tough break: Gabriel Ruelas, who had to cancel his April 30 fight against Tomas Barrientos in San Antonio because of a broken finger on his right hand, said he wanted to fight in spite of the fracture.

Ruelas believes he broke the finger weeks ago and had been sparring in pain, rarely using the right hand.

``I tried to convince the doctor to give me a (cortisone) shot for the finger,'' he said. ``He said, `Definitely not. You'll be OK in two, three weeks but not if you keep doing what you're doing.'

``I'm lucky it wasn't injured more because of the sparring.''

Ruelas, trying to bounce back from the death of Jimmy Garcia and the loss of his title to Azumah Nelson last year, was disappointed he had to cancel.

``I felt so much better than in my last fight, my conditioning was so much better,'' said Ruelas, who weighed 143-1/2 pounds - 13-1/2 over his normal fighting weight - when he outpointed Julio Cesar Herrera on March 13.

``I'm about 140 right now. I've been sparring a lot of rounds, over 10 rounds a day. I felt great.''

Gabriel's brother Rafael, who had been scheduled to fight Wayne Boudreaux on the card, will now face Barrientos.

Eric ``Butterbean'' Esch is also on the card.

Signed, sealed and . . .: It looks as if Michael Moorer will face Axel Schulz for the IBF heavyweight championship on June 22 in Berlin.

The title has been vacant since Frans Botha was stripped last month for steroid use.

Moorer was the IBF champion until he was knocked out by George Foreman in 1994. Schulz lost a disputed decision to Foreman last year, shortly before Foreman gave up the title.

In print: Joe Frazier's autobiography, ``Smokin' Joe,'' was released this month.

COMING UP: Tuesday: Chris Byrd faces Lionel Butler in a 10-round heavyweight bout in Auburn Hills, Mich. The fight will be televised on USA.

Thursday: Johnny Vasquez takes on Martin Solorio in a 10-round bantamweight main event at the Irvine Marriott.

Saturday: Tom Johnson defends his IBF featherweight title against Claudio Victor Martinet of Argentina in Cap D'Antibes, France.

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