BOXING NOTES : HUNDRED BOUTS: 99 PERCENT SURE? CHAVEZ CLAIMS UNPROVEN '80S FIGHT.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

That Julio Cesar Chavez would be fighting for the 100th time in his magnificent career was one of the many angles used to promote his fight against Oscar De La Hoya here on Friday.

One problem: It might not be his 100th fight. Fight Fax Inc., the closest thing to an official record-keeper, insists this is Chavez's 99th fight.

The discrepancy apparently surfaced in September of 1994. Before he fought Meldrick Taylor for the second time, Chavez had 91 fights. When the fight was over, he had 93.

What happened?

Chavez reportedly discovered what he said was an error in his record. He claims to have fought a fighter named Jose Medina twice in the early '80s, not once, as Fight Fax had it. Chavez was so angry, he had his then-promoter Don King change it in his news releases.

The Ring magazine reported that an article discovered by a longtime friend of Chavez's reportedly referred to a ``second fight'' and seemed to confirm that an error had been made.

Fight Fax didn't take the discrepancy lightly. It sent officials to Mexico for an exhaustive investigation but came up with no documentation of a second fight with Medina. And that includes Chavez's friend, who was unable to produce the article upon request.

``I'm not saying it didn't happen,'' Fight Fax president Phill Marder said of the second fight. ``All I can say is we did everything we could but could find no documentation of the fight.''

Chavez (97-1-1, according to Fight Fax; 96-1-1, according to news releases) doesn't think much about efforts to determine the truth.

``It's bull----,'' he said in disgust on Tuesday.

Marder said his company will make a statement about Chavez's record after the fight.

Proceed with caution: Suddenly, De La Hoya and John Madden have a lot in common.

De La Hoya and his entourage made the trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Monday night in a rented ``concert'' bus equipped for eight people instead of a plane.

Why? Fear.

De La Hoya has never been entirely comfortable flying. After the crash of the ValuJet plane last month, he decided he'd be better off on the ground.

``These crashes,'' De La Hoya said shaking his head, ``It's too risky.''

Of course, he would fly if he fought on the East Coast, wouldn't he?

``Yeah . . . well, maybe,'' he said.

Name change?: Jose Barboza, sales manager of Event Entertainment, the company handling the closed-circuit telecast for Friday's fight, reportedly received an odd fax.

It cited a petition to have the posh San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla changed to Oscar De La Jolla.

De La Hoya and Chavez have fought before. In 1989, when Chavez was training for his second fight against Roger Mayweather, he sparred with De La Hoya, who was then a 16-year-old Olympic hopeful.

De La Hoya seemed to hold his own in a video tape of the two-round session, although Chavez, then 26, knocked him down once.

Does the experience retain any significance for Chavez?

``Yes,'' he said. ``It gives me the idea that I can knock him out, it gives me an idea of his punch.

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Photo

Photo: WBC super lightweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez ho lds his son, Julio Jr., as a he answers questions at a press conference.

Associated Press