CAN DE LA HOYA KEEP HIS DISTANCE?

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Robert Alcazar, Oscar De La Hoya's trainer, is only the slightest bit worried about his fighter's date with Felix Trinidad on Sept. 18. He boldly predicts it's going to be an easy fight.

His lone concern? Keeping reasonably tight reins on a fine boxer whose instincts are to brawl.

In his most recent bouts - particularly those against Julio Cesar Chavez and Ike Quartey - De La Hoya has moved at times from careful boxer-puncher to reckless warrior, at least in part to please Mexican fans who demand action.

He's won each time - but at considerable risk.

Alcazar is begging De La Hoya to keep his distance against Felix Trinidad, a more dangerous puncher than either Chavez or Quartey.

``The toughest thing right now is to control Oscar, to keep him from going toe-to-toe the way he did in his last three fights,'' Alcazar said at De La Hoya's Big Bear training camp recently.

``He fought like that for a reason. He wanted to prove to himself that he can stay with big punchers. . . . That's the kind of fighter he is. Unfortunately, that's the kind of fighter he is.''

Is De La Hoya getting the message? It seems so, but it's difficult to tell.

At least 20 television reporters and cameramen were lined up waiting their turn to interview him on media day in Big Bear.

The well-spoken fighter dutifully and graciously hopped from one to the next and fielded the same question from almost every one of them: ``How are you going to fight this guy?''

His answer wasn't always the same, which is typical of De La Hoya: He'll say whatever he feels like saying in an apparent effort to keep everyone - including his opponent - guessing.

``I could say one thing today and another tomorrow,'' he said with a laugh.

Still, he seems to understand that his best chance of beating his most competent foe is to keep his distance.

``The past few fights have made me realize that I have . . . to listen to my corner,'' he said. ``I would sometimes think that (Alcazar) is wrong and I'm right and I'm going to duke it out toe-to-toe. I've definitely learned my lesson. I don't have to go out there and fight. Let's just box and win the fight.

``. . . I'm coming out cut up, bruised up. That kind of convinced me. And I feel more vulnerable when I fight toe-to-toe. I can make it much easier on myself.''

Easy fight? Alcazar believes he knows how the fight is going to go.

Trinidad is going to attack De La Hoya from the opening bell and, as with Rafael Ruelas in 1995, will be cut down as a result. It will be as if he'll walk willingly into a meat grinder.

Most significant, Alcazar has been very critical of Trinidad's footwork, which he said leaves him off-balance.

``That's going to be his biggest mistake,'' Alcazar said of Trinidad's aggressiveness. ``. . . We all know that Trinidad has the reputation of being cold the first three, four rounds. He gets knocked down in almost every, single (important) fight.

``The difference is he's not going to get up when Oscar hits him.''

And what if Trinidad doesn't come right at De La Hoya?

That's what happened against Quartey, who was expected to attack but waited much of the fight for De La Hoya to make the first move. De La Hoya was unable to adjust and took the fight only when he became aggressive in the final rounds.

``I was wrong,'' Alcazar said. ``Just in case, we'll be ready this time. You learn from fight to fight.

``. . . I don't think it will happen because (Trinidad) doesn't have the talent to do it.''

Steward bashing: De La Hoya and Alcazar were brutally critical of Emanuel Steward, De La Hoya's onetime trainer who has said he believes Trinidad will win because De La Hoya has too many distractions.

First De La Hoya: ``He just wants to come into camp and train me. He wants me to think, `Emanuel Steward is right. I need him so I can be ready for this fight. He's the one criticizing me and he's the one who knows how to train me.'

``That's not the case. I respected the man a lot. I'm very disappointed.''

Then Alcazar: ``My feeling is that Emanuel is jealous. He missed his payday, a payday he earns not with the job he does but with the politics he uses to sneak into camps.

``I don't understand that kind of person having a big name in the sport of boxing. I mean, when I see that person working the gym I say, `What? This the big name in boxing? This is the greatest trainer? My God.' ''

It's understandable that fighter and trainer would be upset about Steward's comments. However, the fact that Alcazar, a relative newcomer to the sport, would criticize one of the game's top figures is a bit ludicrous.

Add Alcazar: No trainer receives more criticism than Alcazar, a former fighter who finds himself in his position largely because he happened to work the same job as De La Hoya's father when the champion was an amateur.

He has trained no one but De La Hoya and isn't considered particularly knowledgeable.

His reaction? He must be doing something right.

``The results speak for themselves,'' he said. ``We've been working together for 10 years already. I've been in his corner at least 180 times, almost 200 times, and we've never lost a fight.

``I feel very proud about my job, about my fighter. The record shows no other trainer, no other manager in boxing history has captured (an Olympic) gold medal and five world titles like I have.''

Then this question begs to be answered: Why have De La Hoya and his other handlers brought in one experienced trainer after another to work with the fighter?

Simple: They don't have complete faith in Alcazar. At the moment, veteran Gil Clancy supplements Alcazar's work.

Still, Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter, defends Alcazar.

``Some of the criticism early on was justified because he wasn't that experienced,'' he said. ``Now, he has become experienced, he's learned from the other trainers. Now he's competent, a very good trainer.''

Apparently, one reason De La Hoya keeps Alcazar around is he believes the trainer truly cares about him. In a business rife with sharks, that's important.

Rabbit punches: Longtime strawweight champion Ricardo Lopez, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, will move up in weight to challenge IBF junior flyweight champ Will Grigsby on Oct. 2.

In the co-feature, Julio Cesar Chavez, 37, will face veteran Willy Wise in a 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Chavez rebounded from his second loss to De La Hoya by stopping journeyman Verdell Smith in April.

Mike Tyson was scheduled to make his return to boxing on Oct. 2. However, that date has been moved back for lack of an opponent. . . .

Unbeaten heavyweight Lawrence Clay-Bey, a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, returns to boxing to face Dale Crowe on Aug. 28 in Las Vegas after a 16-month layoff.

Clay-Bey hasn't fought since April of 1998 because of a broken hand that required surgery.

The fight is on the undercard of the David Reid-Keith Mullings matchup.

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Photo

PHOTO Oscar De La Hoya faces Felix Trinidad in September. Trainer Robert Alcazar, here carrying De La Hoya, wants the boxer to keep his distance.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press