DIBELLA HAS OWN TV SHOWCASE.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Imagine having a handful of promising young boxers but nowhere for them to display their talent. Promoter Lou DiBella doesn't have to imagine.

DiBella, who helped build HBO into a boxing powerhouse before venturing out on his own, promotes more than 20 fighters - including undefeated Olympian middleweight Jermain Taylor and hard-punching heavyweight prospect Derek Bryant, both of whom DiBella believes could be superstars.

However, because promoters must fight over a limited number of dates on HBO, Showtime, ESPN and other networks, he has had difficulty showcasing them and getting them decent paydays.

His solution? Televise his own cards.

DiBella, like promoter Bob Arum, has established his own pay-per-view series, ``Monday Night Fights,'' which premieres tonight from Little Rock, Ark., Taylor's hometown.

DiBella hopes he can help create a niche between the big-money telecasts on HBO and Showtime and the small-budget cards.

``I just don't have enough platforms to keep my guys busy with quality fights,'' he said. ``There aren't enough dates on HBO in particular for up-and-coming guys. And you can't count on ESPN to develop fighters. They have no interest in giving guys repeated appearances.

``I have to keep them busy and at least attempt to generate some revenue while I'm doing it.''

Attempt.

Arum has promoted two ``Latin Fury'' pay-per-view cards, featuring mostly Mexican fighters, and has lost money on both. He said they did roughly 35,000 and 15,000 buys, respectively.

He's not giving up on the idea; another card is scheduled for June 28 in Puerto Rico. However, it must catch on to some extent or he might have to find another way to keep his fighters active.

``I can't keep losing money,'' he said. ``We're looking for ways to protect ourselves. For our next card, in Puerto Rico, we were paid a set fee (by the government and other sources) so we're guaranteed to make some money.

``The jury isn't out on this, though. The jury says it's not working. We know we have to step it up. (Erik) Morales-(Paulie) Ayala did 150,000 buys and we made over a million dollars on the venture. So at least we know there is some business to be done underneath guys like Oscar (De La Hoya).''

DiBella knows this is no gold mine but is hoping it catches on.

He believes Monday is a good sports night (think ``Monday Night Football'') and that a suggested price of $24.95 is reasonable. And he knows a select group of boxing fans will give him at least minimal support.

``There are a lot of hardcore boxing fans,'' he said, ``a lot of fans who know what good fights are. You don't need to cross over into lukewarm boxing fans or general sports fans to make a niche pay-per-view thing work. If I can take `Monday Night Fights' three, four, five times a year and grow to 35,000 to 50,000 homes across the country, it can work. As long as expectations are reasonable, it can work.

``The point is in bad times you have to be creative. If you're not willing to be creative, if you're not willing to invest, then get out.''

And if it doesn't work?

DiBella will lose some money but also might garner his fighters enough exposure to take them to the next level, the HBO and Showtime level. Then, regardless of how the cards do in pay-per-view sales, DiBella's investment will have paid off.

``I'm also biding my time until a couple of these kids get to the point where I can't be turned away by some other TV outlet,'' he said. ``... This show, for me, is largely about Jermain Taylor even though it's a complete boxing show. I'm doing this to develop Jermain and Derek.

``I know for a fact Derek would knock out (Wladimir) Klitschko. If people don't see him, though, how are they going to know?''

--Tonight's card: Rosendo Alvarez, ``one of the best fighters no one knows,'' DiBella said, defends his WBA junior flyweight title against Beibis Mendoza in the main event.

Also, veteran Angel Manfredy faces Moises Pedroza in a lightweight bout; Taylor, a bronze medalist in 2000, takes on Marcos Primera; and Bryant, who has knocked out 14 of his 16 opponents, faces Eric Kirkland.

--Ruelas-Burton: Thank goodness Gabriel Ruelas didn't fight Acelino Freitas.

Ruelas, the former junior lightweight champion, understands that sentiment after he was beaten up and then knocked out in eight rounds by unknown Courtney Burton last Monday, but he doesn't buy into it.

He contends he wasn't mentally in the fight after he was displaced as the opponent for WBA junior lightweight champion Acelino Freitas when the media strongly suggested he had no business in the ring with such a champion.

However, an objective observer can draw only one conclusion: Ruelas, 32, is through.

Ruelas said he never got over the disappointment of being yanked as Freitas' challenger and didn't sleep a wink the night before the fight.

``Me not fighting Freitas had something to do with how I felt before the fight - my motivation, my willingness to go to gym, getting up for the fight. ... It bothered me a lot. C'mon, I'm human,'' Ruelas said. ``Even if (Burton) was a well-known fighter, even if it was for another world title, it would've been difficult mentally.

``I told myself to pick myself up and go on, but it's hard.''

That might be the case. Still, in any mindset, the Ruelas of the mid-1990s would've taken a fighter like Burton apart - a clear indication Ruelas is nowhere near the fighter he was.

He said he doesn't know whether he'll fight again, although he's certain he'll continue to go to the gym because ``it's my life.''

Let's hope he leaves it there.

Ruelas has nothing to be ashamed of. He had a fine career in spite of two trying experiences, a broken arm in his fight against Jeff Franklin in 1990 and the tragic death of Jimmy Garcia in 1995.

Most significant, he thrashed one of the top fighters in the world pound for pound, James Leija, to win the WBC junior lightweight title in 1994.

And he's a wonderful person with a wonderful family. He doesn't deserve to take beatings from the Courtney Burtons of the world or be the subject of criticism from the media.

--Rabbit punches: Fernando Vargas' return from suspension reportedly is set for July 26 at the Olympic Auditorium. His opponent is yet to be determined. ...

Francisco Bojado of Los Angeles will face unbeaten William Adamyan on the Juan Diaz-Eleazer Contreras card May 10 in Temecula on NBC.

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Photo:

Rosendo Alvarez defends his WBA junior flyweight belt against Beibis Mendoza tonight in the premiere of promoter Lou DiBella's pay-per-view series.

Laura Rauch/Associated Press

Box:

COMING UP