AYALA UNFAZED BY DAUNTING TASK.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Paulie Ayala probably isn't going to knock you out. Only 12 of the featherweight contender's 34 victories have come inside the distance.

Instead, Ayala, who faces Erik Morales on Saturday in Las Vegas on pay-per-view television, will wear you down with an inordinate number of punches and spirit-breaking aggression predicated on superb conditioning. He's been doing it for 11 years now.

And it doesn't matter who you are.

Ayala fought as a bantamweight (118 pounds) as recently as March of last year and has fought only twice at super bantamweight (122). On Saturday, he fights for the first time at 126 pounds against one of the most-feared champions in the world.

Any trepidation? Not a bit.

Someone asked him whether he thought Morales might have a difficult time rebounding from his emotional - and controversial - loss to rival Marco Antonio Barrera in June.

``For this fight he'll have a difficult time rebounding,'' said Ayala, a resident of Fort Worth, Texas. ``I'm not going to let him do the things he likes to do, I won't be a sitting duck, just there to get hit. I think he'll have trouble with that. I do see him trying to rebound to rejuvenate himself as a champion and make an example of me, especially after his last fight. I won't be an example.

``I'll kick him while he's down, so to say.''

What about Morales' size in light of the fact Ayala is moving up in weight?

``Size doesn't matter if you're too slow,'' Ayala said. ``Other guys move up. (Johnny) Tapia moved up (to fight Barrera on Nov. 2). Even though Barrera was significantly bigger than him, it didn't even look like he hurt Tapia. ... And when Tapia applied pressure toward the end of the fight, Barrera didn't know what to do.

``Barrera was too slow to nail Tapia with good right hands.''

And Morales' punching power (31 knockouts in 41 victories)?

``Since he moved up, he's not as devastating as a puncher as he was as a super bantamweight,'' said Ayala, who used Morales' decision over tough Wayne McCullough in 1999 to support his argument. ``... He caught Wayne with a lot of punches. I know Wayne isn't easy to hurt; I've never seen him hurt, injured or even dropped.

``But to absorb all those punches, for him to be called a really big puncher didn't show.''

You get the picture. Ayala says exactly what he thinks - and he thinks he's going to win Saturday.

That's not to say he hasn't taken measures to adjust to the higher weight division. He's gained considerable weight with a ``special'' diet - he was up to 150 pounds at one point - and has tapered down in good part with resistance training.

He said his training regimen and two fights at 122 pounds - hard-fought victories over Bones Adams - have helped him make an effective transition to 126.

At the same time, and in spite of his comments about Morales' power, he understands the danger he faces against a naturally bigger man who is at least a very good puncher.

Ayala is confident - but not stupid.

``I mainly plan to go in there and outsmart him and avoid the big shots Erik likes to deliver with his right hand,'' he said. ``... I'm prepared for whatever he has to offer, though, whether he wants to slug, box, whatever.''

--For what it's worth: Morales (41-1) is 5-1 with three knockouts as a 126-pounder.

--Animosity lingers: Barrera seemed to extend an olive branch when, after he beat Tapia, he wished Morales luck and said in a postfight television interview that he'd be watching Saturday.

Morales, who had several nasty exchanges with Barrera before their second fight, wouldn't accept it. He implied that Barrera is a phony.

``I wasn't even interested in his fight,'' Morales said. ``I didn't see it. I didn't even care. For him to say these things now, he's just trying to say the right things in front of people. I know he couldn't care less if I win or not.

``I hope he does watch the fight so he can learn what a real fighter is about.''

--Featherweight boom: Ayala suggested the featherweight division (126 pounds) is the deepest in boxing. He might be right.

Among those at the weight are: Barrera, Morales, Naseem Hamed, Juan Manuel Marquez, Derrick Gainer, Tapia and now Ayala. Junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao also has said he wants to fight Barrera, and Adams and bantamweight champion Tim Austin might not be too far behind.

That's a formidable group.

``There are a lot of people who want to campaign in the division,'' Ayala said. ``Junior lightweights want to move down and even bantamweights want to move up. ...

``There are a lot of good fights to be made, a lot of money to be made.''

--King's tournament: Don King has arranged for Evander Holyfield to fight Chris Byrd on Dec. 14 and John Ruiz to fight Roy Jones Jr. on March 1.

However, this isn't a heavyweight tournament, at least not as long as Jones is involved.

If Jones fights Ruiz and beats him - he has yet to sign - he probably wouldn't fight the winner of the Holyfield-Byrd fight, although he might consider Byrd should he handle Ruiz easily.

And should he take that fight and win, he would never, under any circumstances fight Lennox Lewis, who is the prize at the end of all this.

--New convert: Professional wrestler Brian Adams was on the road to becoming a boxer. He was a street fighter in his native Hawaii and had eight amateur fights. However, at a muscular 6-foot-5, he was recruited to wrestle and has made a handsome living over the years.

Now, at 39, he's going back to his roots: He'll make his pro boxing debut on the Morales-Ayala card.

``It's something I've considered doing for many years,'' Adams said.

Adams, who is ``down'' to about 260 pounds since he started his boxing workouts, has worked with noted trainer Dan Birmingham. And, according to Adams, Birmingham hasn't been disappointed.

``He told me my power is unprecedented,'' said Adams, whose buddy Randy ``Macho Man'' Savage will be in his corner. ``He's been in Mike Tyson's camp, and he said I hit harder than Tyson. And one of my sparring partners has sparred with David Tua and Andrew Golota, and he said I hit harder than them.''

At the same time, Adams knows he has a lot to prove to realize his dream of a heavyweight championship fight.

``I like to give myself challenges, and this is a challenge. This is what motivates me,'' he said.

With Mark Gastineau, Ed ``Too Tall'' Jones and similar adventurers in mind, we'll see how long Adams remains motivated.

--Rabbit punches: The hearing to determine Fernando Vargas' punishment for steroid use is scheduled for Nov. 20 in Las Vegas. ...

Trainer Pat Goossen has opened a boxing gym, ``Victory Boxing Club,'' at 16145 Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys.

He also is working as a matchmaker for Global Gloves, a new promotional firm based in San Francisco. ...

De La Hoya was unable to arrange a meeting with Felix Trinidad on his recent trip to Puerto Rico but still plans to pursue a rematch.

``The thing is, what Oscar has said is, `Everyone's trying to rush me,' '' said Richard Schaeffer, who runs De La Hoya's business interests. ``Why rush? He just fought seven, eight weeks ago. He still wants to fight Trinidad. And if not, he'll fight (Shane) Mosley, and Vernon Forrest is lurking in the back. There are plenty of high-quality opponents.

``And we don't want to seem overeager, anyway. It might be counterproductive.'' ...

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya's first card on HBO Latino is Jan. 16 at the Olympic Auditorium, with unbeaten bantamweight and former U.S. Olympian Jose Navarro facing Carlos Madrigal in the main event.

About 5,000 of the 7,000 tickets will be priced between $15 and $20, and special seat packages will be available. ...

News item: The WBO named its light heavyweight ``champion,'' Dariusz Michalczewski, its best world champion ever.

That's like being named the best skier ever in Jamaica. ...

The Golden State Boxers Association will celebrate the birthdays of former lightweight contenders Art ``Golden Boy'' Aragon (75) and George Latka (88) at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood.

COMING UP

FRIDAY

Jesus Chavez vs. Johnny Walker, super featherweights, Laredo, Texas, Telefutura. Also, Yory Boy Campas vs. George Ray Klinesmith, super welterweights.

SATURDAY

Erik Morales vs. Paulie Ayala, for the vacant WBC featherweight title, Las Vegas, HBO. Also, Bones Adams vs. Guty Espadas, super bantamweights.

SUNDAY

Virgil Hill vs. Joey DeGrandis, cruiserweights, Grand Forks, N.D., Fox Sports Net.

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

COMING UP (see text)