HERNANDEZ-MORALES TO UNIFY TITLE SATURDAY.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Bob Arum is the promoter for the pay-per-view card Saturday from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He is going to say things during the promotion aimed at selling the fight.

So it was no surprise at what he said Wednesday in Big Bear. It was media day for Carlos ``Famous'' Hernandez, who will fight Erik Morales in a super featherweight title unification bout on Saturday.

Morales is World Boxing Council champion and Hernandez holds the International Boxing Federation belt. Arum promotes both fighters.

``I will make a guarantee right now because, you know, I gotta live by my guarantees, this fight will be the fight of the year,'' Arum said.

``I want to say over any fight that's happened this year, over any fight that's been announced that's going to take place this year, this fight will be the fight of the year.''

Arum also is promoting the Sept. 18 showdown between Oscar De La Hoya and middleweight king Bernard Hopkins at the MGM Grand.

``I mean, that's a much bigger fight and therefore will be remembered as a bigger event, obviously,'' Arum said. ``But this fight, style wise, is going to be much better.

``These guys are not going to go and box for 12 rounds,'' Arum said. ``They're not going to do a lot of fancy stuff. Nobody holds. So all they're going to do is punch the (stuff) out of each other. That makes a good fight.''

Morales, of Tijuana, is 46-1 with 34 knockouts. He is, pound-for-pound, one of the world's best fighters.

Hernandez, who grew up in Southern California and is originally from El Salvador, is 40-3-1 with 24 knockouts. When he won the IBF belt with an eight-round technical decision over David Santos on Feb. 1, 2003 in Las Vegas, he became the first El Salvadoran to win a world championship. The president of El Salvador, Francisco Flores, was on hand.

--Nice undercard: Rafael Marquez (31-3, 28 KOs) of Mexico City will attempt to make the third defense of his IBF bantamweight belt when he meets countryman Heriberto Ruiz (31-2-2, 14 KOs) in the semi-main event.

Ivan Calderon (19-0, 4 KOs) of Puerto Rico will attempt to make the third defense of his World Boxing Organization light flyweight belt when he takes on Mexico's Roberto Leyva (22-3-1, 19 KOs).

Also, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (9-0, 5 KOs) will put his undefeated record on the line in a six-round lightweight fight against an opponent still to be determined.

The card will cost viewers $39.95.

--Tyson's money, entourage gone: With Mike Tyson reportedly about $40 million in debt, his entourage has been reduced to practically nothing, according to his trainer, Freddie Roach.

``I hope he learned his lesson, though,'' said Roach, who is training Tyson for his fight against Danny Williams on Friday in Louisville, Ky. ``I told him, `When the money comes back, the entourage, they are going to come knocking at your door and if you let them in, it will be a mistake.''

``He told me, `I am never having an entourage again. That is it.' ''

Roach said he told Tyson he would remind him of that when the time comes.

``His entourage is only two people now instead of 25,'' Roach said. ``And I think he is finding that it is a lot easier to live the simple life than the other lifestyle. He seems more at peace with himself.''

This card also is available on pay-per-view, for $44.95. The semi-main event will feature Laila Ali (17-0, 14 KOs) of Los Angeles in a super middleweight bout against New Jersey's Monica Nunez (9-1, 4 KOs).

--Gatti-Dorin: The body shot with which Arturo Gatti knocked out Leonard Dorin in the second round Saturday in Atlantic City was a beautiful thing. We don't see many one-punch knockouts to the body, but when that punch lands in the perfect spot, it's over.

It's called a liver shot. Fighters say a hard punch landed there paralyzes the legs.

Gatti retained his WBC super lightweight championship.

--Aguiniga wins again: Featherweight Jose Aguiniga of Oxnard is 24-0 after earning a 10-round, split-decision victory over Mexico's Cristobal Cruz (27-7-1) on Friday at the Performing Arts Center in Oxnard.

Rolando Reyes (22-3-2), a lightweight from Oxnard, won a unanimous decision over Mexico's Omar Bernal (25-6-3) in the eight-round semi-main event.

Robert Morales, [phone], Ext. 2213

robert.morales(at)sgvn.com

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