Oscar favorite of fans, in books

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 | 10:06 a.m.

Oscar De La Hoya makes his way to Las Vegas today saying all the right things.

As always.

The definitive politically correct fighter, De La Hoya never disrespects his opponent, never creates a scene and never fails to claim he's working on something new and improved that will strengthen his game.

He's predictable.

And talented, in more ways than one. Whether it's singing on a CD or as a guest on a late-night talk show, or smacking the man across from him in the ring, there's no doubting his abilities.

He's arguably the most popular boxer in the world, with a following so passionate that his fans will buy tickets for any of his fights -- even when a blowout is expected.

That will be the case Saturday as De La Hoya takes on Luis "Yory Boy" Campas to headline a Top Rank-promoted card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The main event may be something of a mismatch, yet few tickets remain and a sold-out arena is expected.

Monday in the sports book at Mandalay Bay, De La Hoya was a whopping minus 3500 betting favorite. Campas was a plus 1500.

"It's not going to be as easy as people think," De La Hoya said before leaving his training camp in Big Bear, Calif., and embarking for Las Vegas, where he's scheduled to arrive at Mandalay Bay at 9 p.m.

Campas, 31, was once 56-0 and still has a fantastic record but he's at the end of what has been a long, hard-fought career. A pro since the age of 15, he's 80-5 with 68 knockouts but he's susceptible to swelling, cutting and being KO'd.

None of his losses -- to Felix Trinidad, Jose Lopez, Fernando Vargas, Oba Carr and Daniel Santos -- went the distance, and his fight with De La Hoya is apt to fall into that pattern.

"I think speed is going to make a big difference," De La Hoya said of his primary advantage over Campas. "He's going to be there for me to work on what I need to work on."

De La Hoya, 30, is 35-2 with 28 KOs and talking as if he'll fight at least one more year.

Hey, why not? When you're constantly improving -- as De La Hoya almost jokingly claims before each and every fight -- it makes it tough to quit, even if a girlfriend and a Hollywood career patiently await his retirement from the ring.

"I'm on my toes more, I'm staying busy more," De La Hoya said, when asked what aspect of his boxing arsenal is better than ever this time around. His trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., adds that De La Hoya's right hand -- which is often a secondary weapon to his ferocious left hook -- is sharper than previously seen, the result of a stringent training camp.

"It's been a long camp," De La Hoya said, singling out sparring partners (and fellow pro fighters) Danny Perez and Hector Quiroz for their efforts. "I can assure you I'll be 100 percent."

He knows a mere victory against Campas may not be satisfactory, nor would winning the fight on a stoppage if Campas -- a noted bleeder -- begins to come apart at the seams.

"It'll look really bad on my resume," De La Hoya said of registering anything but a knockout win. "My goal isn't just to stop him but to knock him out."

Campas, once the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion, fought at 163 pounds in his most recent outing -- a win against journeyman George Klinesmith in November in Laredo, Texas -- but is back at 154 to face the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association champion.

In actuality, this is a "stay busy" fight for De La Hoya before a Sept. 13 rematch with Shane Mosley at the MGM in Las Vegas. Beyond that, he's interested in fighting undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins a year from now.

A rematch with Trinidad also has been discussed.

But first up is Campas, who was moved into the No. 15 contender's spot by the WBC so that the fight with De La Hoya can be sanctioned for a championship. It was a gracious, if self-serving, move by the WBC but it plays right into the festive atmosphere De La Hoya anticipates in the remaining days this week and at the fight itself.

"Las Vegas is like a second home for me, I'm so used to fighting there," he said. "It'll be fun."