NOT OSCAR NIGHT; TRINIDAD WINS CLOSE DECISION.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Staff Writer

It will be remembered by some that Oscar De La Hoya was robbed here Saturday. And De La Hoya himself played a key role in the heist.

For nine rounds, De La Hoya outboxed and outclassed Felix Trinidad and built what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in the biggest non-heavyweight fight in at least a decade.

For the last three, he coasted to what he believed would be the most significant victory in his remarkable career.

It was a tremendous mistake.

According to the judges, Trinidad - who barely touched De La Hoya most of the fight - did enough to win Saturday night before a pro-De La Hoya crowd of 12,000 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Glen Hamada scored it 114-114, Bob Logist had it 115-114 and Jerry Roth 115-113 - a majority decision for the idol of Puerto Rico.

The Daily News scored it 116-114 for De La Hoya. And, for what it's worth, De La Hoya outlanded Trinidad 263-166, according to computer statistics. Trinidad had a 318-277 edge in power punches.

Regardless, just like that, the Golden Boy had the first blemish on his record and boxing's soaring star was brought back to earth.

At the same time, Trinidad, the IBF welterweight champion, claims the WBC belt and consideration as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He also acquired with the victory monumental earning power.

``I know Oscar is a great fighter,'' said Trinidad (36-0, with 30 knockouts). ``I had the will to win, though. I told everyone, I told the press I was going to win and I did.''

De La Hoya (31-1, 25 KOs) was aghast at the decision.

``I know I won,'' said De La Hoya, somehow smiling. ``I thought I gave the boxing lesson of my life. People expect me to duke it out. I wanted to make him miss, make him pay.

``I'm hurt inside emotionally.''

Trinidad bounced into the ring to start the fight with the exuberance he displayed throughout the months leading up to it. He smiled, waved to fans and acted supremely confident. De La Hoya was as serious as could be, all business. And, when the first bell rang, he began to take care of it.

He fought on the move from the beginning, landing his left jab regularly and following with enough combinations to control the fight. Trinidad bled from his nose beginning in the second round and his left eye became swollen in the fifth, although neither fighter went down or was seriously hurt.

Meanwhile, Trinidad, the aggressor, couldn't find De La Hoya to hit him for those first nine rounds. He was so frustrated that he twice hit De La Hoya after the bell, for which he received warnings.

The fans might not have been satisfied with the tactical fight, particularly in light of the prefight hype. However, it was a work of art. De La Hoya, the much quicker of the two, seemed to prove that Trinidad didn't belong in the same ring with him, let alone win the fight.

And then came rounds nine through 12.

De La Hoya ran more than he threw punches while Trinidad picked up confidence and points by landing more and more combinations as the fight progressed.

Put simply, De La Hoya blew it - at least in terms of the official scoring.

He was leading the fight 87-84, 86-86, 86-85 after nine rounds but lost the last three 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 on the same cards. He gave the fight away.

``I wanted to put on a boxing show,'' De La Hoya said. ``I guess it didn't work.''

A rematch would make perfect sense.

De La Hoya made $20 million-plus, Trinidad around $11 million. The fighters would certainly make similar sums of money a second time around. Trinidad wouldn't commit, though.

``I need to discuss that, to negotiate with (my promoter) Don King,'' he said. ``Oscar deserves a rematch. We need to talk.''

That could prove to be problematic.

King demanded at the postfight news conference that he'd agree to a rematch but only if the terms were in complete reverse.

Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter, reacted to that by saying, ``Well, then I guess there won't be a rematch,'' stating that De La Hoya remains the better draw of the two.

Negotiations should be interesting. If it happens, the fans might get the action-packed war they had expected on Saturday.

``I guess the next time, I'll have to be a brawler,'' De La Hoya said.

In other bouts, 1996 Olympic gold-medal winner Vassiliy Jirov (22-0, 20 KOs) knocked out Dale Brown (18-1-1, 13 KOs) at 2:52 of the 10th round to retain his IBF cruiserweight championship.

Jirov sent Brown to his knees with a body shot in the fifth round. He ended it with vicious left to the stomach to remain undefeated.

Mia St. John is on a roll.

The Calabasas resident, whose foray into Playboy modeling drew national attention this week, stopped Kelly Downey at 1:40 of the fourth and final round of a women's featherweight bout. St. John (13-0, eight KOs) knocked down Downey (3-2, three KOs) in third round and pummeled her in the fourth until the fight was stopped.

St. John had extra incentive.

``I'm so happy now that I can go to `Good Morning America.' They told me I could be their guest only if I won,'' she said.

Eric ``Butterbean'' Esch (320 pounds) stopped undersized opponent Ken Craven (210 pounds) at 1:55 of the second round in a scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

Undefeated Eric Morel, a 1996 U.S. Olympian and rising super flyweight contender, defeated tough but overmatched Mexican Miguel Angel Granados in a 12th-round bout.

And Johnny Nelson of England retained the fringe WBO cruiserweight title by easily outpointed Sione Vaati Asipeli of Tonga.

CAPTION(S):

chart, 2 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color) Felix Trinidad lands a right cross on the head of Oscar De La Hoya during the fourth round of their 12-round welterweight title bout.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

(2) Felix Trinidad's corner erupts in celebration after he is announced the winner over Oscar De La Hoya.

Laura Ranch/Associated Press

CHART: Daily News round-by-round scoring