COMMENTARY: DE LA HOYA WAS DANCER, NOT FIGHTER, IN SNOOZER.

Byline: Doug Krikorian Staff Writer

It was billed as the Fight of the Millennium, but, instead, it turned out to be more or less a snooze until the decision was announced that Felix Trinidad had beaten Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday night over 12 of the tamest rounds you'll ever behold.

Then the crowd of 12,000 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center erupted in a chorus of boos and cheers, generating more noise than they had throughout an evening in which De La Hoya danced more than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers used to do in the movies for a lot less money than the $21 million De La Hoya earned for his stinker of a performance.

De La Hoya, absorbing his first defeat in 32 fights, was stunned, but he shouldn't have been, since he spent the final nine minutes acting as though he was looking for a way out of the ring.

Still, it was stunning for him to lose a decision in Las Vegas, a town where he had won controversial decisions over Pernell Whitaker and Ike Quartey and where he was expected by most observers to emerge victorious if this one went to the scorecards.

Not that Trinidad was any better.

He didn't do much himself until the final three rounds when he almost chased the fast-retreating, fast-fading De La Hoya out to the Mojave Desert to earn the verdicts on the scorecards of Jerry Roth (115-113) and Bob Logist (115-114). The other judge, Glen Hamada, had it even at 114-114 and even though I had it 116-114 in Trinidad's favor, it would have been quite deserving if this disappointing show had wound up in a draw.

Never have so many people paid so much to see so little, and this one will not be remembered fondly by those who watched it.

This did not have the ferocity of the first fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, or the non-stop action of Aaron Pryor's brawl with Alexis Arguello.

From the opening bell, De La Hoya turned this into a tactical fight, moving back and forth around the ring, attacking Trinidad with quick combinations, especially during the final 10 seconds of each round.

And he built up an early advantage with this tactic, keeping the power-punching Trinidad off-balance and frustrating him.

But he wasn't doing any serious damage, and as the fight droned on Trinidad kept cutting down the distance between himself and De La Hoya, slamming occasional hooks and right hands against the ever-retreating De La Hoya's anatomy.

De La Hoya fought like Leonard did against both Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler, but he didn't land enough punches to pull it off in a tedious affair that didn't get violent until those final rounds.

``I had trouble figuring De La Hoya out,'' said Trinidad.

But once he did, he began landing one punch after another on De La Hoya, especially in the final round when he had De La Hoya wobbly and running frantically backward.

If this one were in the days of the 15-round title fights, there would have been no controversy about the outcome.

Trinidad probably would have knocked out De La Hoya, who did not dispense a heroic effort befitting a guy billed as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

What De La Hoya was Saturday night was a safety-first fighter who refused to take any chances except dispensing quick flurries.

One certainly can't wax too poetic about Trinidad, either, but it's difficult for any fighter to look impressive against an opponent who did nothing but dance.

Of course, there will be a rematch, but it may not be immediately because now Trinidad's promoter, Don King, will be in charge of matters.

As for the Golden Boy, his glowing reputation is no longer so glowing because, in his biggest fight, he didn't exactly acquit himself heroically.

He will come back to make millions more because his clever promoter, Bob Arum, will resume matching him against men he can look good against.

He certainly did not look good against Trinidad.

Oh, he puffed up Trinidad's left eye and bloodied his nose, but he refused throughout the boring proceedings to exchange punches with Trinidad.

I had Trinidad winning seven rounds, and he landed most of the power punches.

But he wasn't overwhelming, either.

There was booing throughout the fight, and the most stunning development of the night turned out to be the decision.

Oscar De La Hoya was supposed to have the homecourt edge, but this time he performed so timidly that not even the judges could save him from a most-deserving defeat.