DE LA HOYA NOT AFRAID OF HOPKINS.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

There is a rumor going around suggesting that Oscar De La Hoya will not step into the ring with Bernard Hopkins on Sept. 18.

De La Hoya has heard all of the innuendo. He knows that some fans and experts believe he has little chance of defeating one of the great middleweights in history.

They say he will find a way out of what they believe is bound to be a sure beating, one that could end his successful career on a down note. In other words, many expect De La Hoya to simply chicken out.

De La Hoya, in a conference call last week, scoffed at the notion.

``I can give you my word,'' De La Hoya said. ``This is guaranteed. Hopkins wins and I win (June 5), we go head-to-head Sept. 18. You will see that fight. I am not backing down from this fight.''

De La Hoya (36-3, 29 KOs) has won world titles in the junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. If he dethrones World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Felix Sturm on June 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he will have won a record six titles in six weight classes.

Hopkins will try to defend his World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation middleweight belts against Robert Allen in the semi-main event. Provided De La Hoya and Hopkins win, they are scheduled to meet Sept. 18, also at the MGM Grand.

``In the beginning, when I was thinking of taking this fight (with Hopkins), obviously, you get those nerves running through your body,'' said De La Hoya, admitting to some initial reluctance. ``But at this point right now, working out and training and sparring with these big guys, I'm actually looking forward to fighting Hopkins even more.

``This is not a joke. This is for real. I am more than willing to fight Hopkins in September. I just hope he wins (June 5), because I know I'm going to win.''

Hopkins will be fighting Allen (36-4, 27 knockouts) for the third time. On Aug. 28, 1998, they boxed to a four-round no-contest. Hopkins suffered an ankle injury when he accidentally was pushed out of the ring by referee Mills Lane, who was trying to break a clinch.

Hopkins was leading 30-27 and 29-28 on two scorecards but trailing 29-28 on the other.

They had a rematch Feb. 6, 1999, and Hopkins stopped Allen in seven.

Hopkins (43-2-1, 31 KOs) has made a record 17 middleweight title defenses. Other than his age - he is 39 going on 29 - there are no questions surrounding him.

De La Hoya, on the other hand, has to prove he can be successful at 160 pounds. The biggest questions are: Will his speed continue to be his ally as he moves up in weight? Can he hit hard enough to dissuade the bigger fighters from waltzing right in?

De La Hoya realizes these are legitimate inquiries. That's why, he said, he is first fighting Sturm (20-0, nine KOs).

``I would be crazy if I didn't take this fight with Felix Sturm because jumping right into a Bernard Hopkins right away would be absurd,'' De La Hoya said. ``That is why I took this Felix Sturm fight. It is definitely going to be a test, that's for sure.''

As for his speed and power, De La Hoya said one is not a problem, the other is being worked on.

``Maybe the power is not the same as when I was facing guys at 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds,'' De La Hoya said, ``but I'm glad the speed is still there. And I think it's just a matter of working on the power.

``I know a lot of people say that you can't work on power, that you have to be born with it and this and that. But I think we're discovering that by doing weights and doing them the right way, you can gain some power little by little.''

De La Hoya, 31, said his special weight-training program and new diet has him currently weighing 170 pounds.

``We have adapted ourselves to the fighting weight,'' he said.

Thus, he predicted, he will be more than ready for Hopkins should he be successful against Sturm.

``I'm not saying that for this Felix Sturm fight I am going to be 100 percent where I want to be strength-wise,'' De La Hoya said. ``But for the Hopkins fight, I will definitely be where I want to be in order to sometimes push around Hopkins.

``I'm really looking forward to fighting Bernard Hopkins because that is the maximum challenge out there for me.''

--De La Hoya on Tarver-Jones: De La Hoya was asked his thoughts about Antonio Tarver's second-round knockout of Roy Jones Jr. on May 15.

``I said to myself, 'Good for Tarver,' '' De La Hoya said. ``He is a good guy. I had the opportunity to meet him. I played golf with him a few times and he is a good guy. I think he deserves it.

``Obviously, for Roy Jones, it was a sad moment. But it happens to the best and I don't think Roy Jones should get discouraged.''

--Tickets going fast: Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc., will promote the June 5 doubleheader that will be shown on pay-per-view television. He said ticket sales are brisk.

``There is a lot of excitement,'' Arum said. ``Tickets are going extremely fast. We expect by fight night, or a couple of days before, we will have a sellout.''

FIGHT SCHEDULE

June 3

--At Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center, Lincoln City, Ore. (SHO), Robert Guerero, Gilroy, vs. Enrique Sanchez, Mexico, 10, featherweights.

June 4

--At Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center, Lincoln City, Ore., Keith Holmes, Washington, vs. Rodney Jones, Stockton., 12, for the NABF junior middleweight title.

--At The Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Chris Smith, Queens, N.Y., vs. Vinroy Barrett, Jamaica, 12, for Smith's NABA welterweight title.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Oscar De La Hoya balks at talk that he is running scared and will not enter the ring against WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins.

Nick Ut/Associated Press

Box:

FIGHT SCHEDULE (see text)