CAN HE BOWL 'EM OVER : DE LA HOYA HAS EDGE TONIGHT OVER WHITAKER.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

Oscar De La Hoya has rolled over his opponents like a 16-pound ball over so many pins. It's hard to imagine him losing.

Tonight included.

Yes, Pernell Whitaker, the wily WBC welterweight champion, will be his toughest test to date when the two meet at Thomas & Mack Arena here. No one doubts it, at least no one who knows boxing. Whitaker brings things to the ring De La Hoya has never seen.

At the same time, as in all his fights, De La Hoya would seem to have a distinct advantage. In this case, it's age: Whitaker is 33 and in the eyes of many, well into a tailspin and about to crash.

It's perfect: a big-name, but arguably safe opponent who will generate plenty of interest (and money) and provide an opportunity to take another substantial step toward what De La Hoya believes is bigger and more significant prey.

Promoter Bob Arum and others in the De La Hoya camp should be admired for the way he has been carefully maneuvered to the brink of his fifth championship.

``We wanted to get (Whitaker) before he lost,'' said De La Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum, implying that defeat and plunging marketability was just around the corner. ``This fight means a lot more than if he loses to a guy like (his last opponent Diobelys) Hurtado.

``The timing is just right.''

De La Hoya, only 24 but polished both in and out of the ring, won't say such things publicly about a fighter of Whitaker's stature, even after the Hurtado fight, which Whitaker barely pulled out with an 11th-round knockout. It wouldn't fit his image.

However, he doesn't see this fight as one that will define his career. Kostya Tszyu. Ike Quartey. Terry Norris. Felix Trinidad. These are fighters, strong young fighters in or near their primes, who De La Hoya believes will one day mean more to his legacy than Whitaker possibly could.

After all, Whitaker is old by boxing standards and a 3-1 underdog. It's a fight De La Hoya should win.

``This is a big fight, a tough fight,'' said De La Hoya, straining to be diplomatic. ``It's my toughest fight until now. I have bigger fights in my future, though.''

Assuming he wins tonight.

Consensus says that De La Hoya is too young, too big, too strong and too quick for Whitaker. The fighter who one day will beat De La Hoya, it is said, will be his equal in size (he's five inches taller than Whitaker), strength and youth.

However, some believe his last opponent, the tough, but slow Miguel Angel Gonzalez, exposed flaws. Most significant, when Gonzalez was able to land punches, De La Hoya seemed to get rattled. As trainer Emanuel Steward put it, he ``blinked.''

Well ahead on points, and his left eye badly swollen, De La Hoya uncharacteristically cruised through the latter rounds to a one-sided decision.

De La Hoya had an explanation. He said he held back because he missed a solid week's training with the flu and wasn't confident of his conditioning. He wanted to pace himself.

Still, people wonder.

``I saw De La Hoya get unnerved and I was surprised,'' Steward said. ``Where'd that come from? Not enough tough fights, which you have to have to move to another level.''

Herein lies Whitaker's best hope: his monumental edge in experience.

Whitaker (40-1-1, with 17 knockouts) has fought 42 times, De la Hoya (23-0, 20 KO's) 23 times. Whitaker, a six-time world champion, has 21 world-title fights. De La Hoya has 11, eight of those sanctioned solely by the marginal WBO.

Whitaker, who turned pro after winning an Olympic gold medal in 1984, has been in tough situations, many more than the ``the kid,'' as he calls De La Hoya. And, invariably, he has survived. To virtually all observers, his loss to Jose Ramirez and draw with Julio Cesar Chavez were considered robberies. In effect, he too is undefeated.

He knows how to survive. He knows how to win. And, well aware of a unique opportunity to make history in what might be his last truly big fight, he's more motivated than he's been in years.

``The scary part about this (for De La Hoya) is at night when everybody has to say `good night. See you tomorrow,' '' Whitaker said, speaking of Friday night.

``And when the door shuts and he's in his room by himself, that's when reality starts setting in. He's going to be thinking about me. . . . This kid has never in his life been in there with someone like me.''

The same might be said for Whitaker.

WHITAKER VS. DE LA HOYA

Who: Pernell Whitaker (40-1-1, 17 KO's) defends his WBC welterweight championship against Oscar De La Hoya (23-0, 20 KO's).

WHEN: Today at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. First fight at 5 p.m.

TV: Pay-per-view. First televised fight at 6 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: Oscar De La Hoya points toward the crowd who came to watch his weigh-in at Caesars Palace. De La Hoya weiged in at 146-1/2 pounds.

Associated Press

Box: WHITAKER VS. DE LA HOYA (see text)