DEAL NOT FINAL FOR TITLE BOUT.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

The Sept. 18 bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad has not been finalized, as De La Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum, said Friday. However, Lou DiBella, senior vice president of HBO, said the deal is ``almost done and it will get done.''

Arum and Don King, who promotes Trinidad, have reached an agreement that would pay De La Hoya at least $15 million and Trinidad $10.5 million - including their promoters' take - for the much-anticipated title-unification bout.

However, Trinidad and King have yet to come to terms, according to Trinidad's family lawyer, Nicolas Medina.

Time-Warner, HBO's parent company, reportedly upped the ante $500,000 after Trinidad rejected an offer that would pay him $8 million and King $2 million. However, Trinidad's people claim King wants to take the additional money himself and they won't accept that arrangement.

``The deal is stuck,'' Medina told the Associated Press.

DiBella, whose pay-per-view arm, TVKO, would televise the bout, expects Trinidad and King to work out the details.

``It's almost done and it will get done with a little patience, as opposed to publicly talking about it,'' said DiBella, who is not directly involved in the negotiations. ``Everyone has a good idea about what the terms are. Everyone should just be quiet and let Don work it out.''

Trinidad, the IBF welterweight champion, must defeat Hugo Pineda on May 29 before he could face De La Hoya, the WBC titleholder.