Columnist Tim Graham: Felix and Oscar not a match

Tim Graham

Thursday, May 20, 1999 | 1:52 a.m.

Tim Graham's column appears Thursday. His media notebook appears Wednesday. Reach him at tim@lasvegassun.com or 259-4078.

Felix Trinidad is big.

So big that the mere potential of Trinidad fighting Oscar De La Hoya in September has eclipsed the reality that faces De La Hoya in little more than 48 hours.

Remember Oba Carr? He's the one fighting the "Golden Boy" Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. But you wouldn't know by reading the papers lately.

Top Rank president Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter, has been inundated with phone calls from reporters around the country the past couple days. And they haven't been asking about Carr.

All anybody wants to read, write and talk about is the status of De La Hoya vs. Trinidad. It's the showdown boxing fans have been demanding for years: a slugfest between two undefeated welterweight superstars.

The fight is close enough to happening that Arum pushed back until Friday a deadline for Trinidad to accept terms on the bout, which is tentatively slated for Sept. 18 at Mandalay Bay.

What has stopped this bout from being signed long ago is the over-inflated egos Trinidad and his people have. They think their purse should be just as full as De La Hoya's.

Trinidad is overrated and needs this fight much more than De La Hoya does. But it would seem otherwise the way Trinidad's people are posturing.

De La Hoya, the most valuable boxer outside the heavyweight division since Sugar Ray Leonard, stands to make approximately $12 million against Trinidad, who was offered $10 million by Arum last week. Trinidad was given until 5 p.m. Wednesday to respond. As late as Tuesday, the deal appeared dead, and Trinidad was being painted yellow.

But Trinidad's promoter, Don King, made a counteroffer Tuesday afternoon and negotiations rekindled.

Trinidad doesn't deserve such a payday, but De La Hoya, anxious to fight the biggest names available, told Arum to get the fight done. The promoter has pushed the financial limits to appease his meal ticket.

It's amazing that Trinidad, an anonymous figure outside of boxing who has been rolling bums on a sporadic basis, insists on making as much as a mainstream celebrity who has been headlining against quality opposition for years.

Trinidad did win a decision over Pernell Whitaker in February, but "Sweet Pea" was coming off a 16-month layoff to complete drug rehab. Trinidad's previous three outings against Kevin Lueshing, Troy Waters and Mahenge Zulu -- not exactly a Mount Rushmore -- occurred over a three-year span.

Trinidad's resume is so weak, The Ring magazine claims Carr, Yory Boy Campas and Maurice Blocker are the three biggest victories of his career.

No De La Hoya opponent has been paid more than $7 million. That's how much Julio Cesar Chavez collected for their first fight three years ago. Whitaker signed for $4.5 million to fight De La Hoya in 1997 and Ike Quartey did so for $3 million in February.

So Trinidad, who never earned more than $700,000 in his six Las Vegas fights, wants four times as much as Quartey.

It's difficult to decide which is more amazing: Trinidad having the arrogance to expect equal treatment as De La Hoya, or Trinidad possibly getting it.

Trinidad is imposing enough to shroud Carr this week.

But there's no way he's formidable enough to match De La Hoya.