LOOKING IN ON: BOXING

Friday, Feb. 2, 2007 | 7:11 a.m.

Promoter Bob Arum plans to have Las Vegas heavyweight Tye Fields fight about once every other month until the end of the year, when he hopes to secure a title shot for Fields against WBA champion Nikolay Valuev.

Arum considers Las Vegas a front-runner to host the title fight if it happens.

"By that time, I believe this town will really come out to support this kid," Arum said last week at the Orleans Arena, where Fields won a 10-round unanimous decision against Kendrick Releford.

In his first fight for Arum's Top Rank Inc., Fields (37-1, 34 KOs) won by 98-92 and 99-91 twice, wearing Releford (14-9-1) down in the later rounds, although both men landed their share of clean shots.

"Tye showed he's a real tough kid who won't be intimidated," Fields' manager, Billy Baxter, said. "He makes some mistakes, but Tye is the kind of fighter who will learn from them."

Although Fields stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 270 pounds, he'd be at a size disadvantage against Valuev (46-0, 34 KOs), a hulking 7-footer.

"Hopefully Tye will continue to move up in the rankings, and by the end of the year we'll get him in there against the big Russian," Arum said.

De La Hoya's training plans

Oscar De La Hoya plans to begin training camp in late February or early March after naming Freddie Roach as his trainer for his May 5 megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand.

Roach, one of the most respected trainers in the sport, guided super featherweight champ Manny Pacquiao to his position among boxing's top fighters.

"You have to be very fast to work with a (fighter like) Manny Pacquiao," De La Hoya said. "He's a good strategist. He knows how to dissect the opponent and come up with a good strategy. That's what I need (at this point) in my career."

De La Hoya said he anticipates a smooth transition from working with his usual trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., after they failed to reach an agreement for the fight against Floyd Sr.'s son.

"I think Floyd (Sr.)'s demand of $2 million (to train De La Hoya) was a signal he did not want to be involved," said Richard Schaefer of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Because the Mayweathers famously don't get along well, Floyd Sr.'s presence "would have created an unwelcome circus atmosphere," Schaefer said.

Margarito-Cotto bout set

Welterweight champ Antonio Margarito has agreed to fight two-time world champ Miguel Cotto in a June 9 showdown at Madison Square Garden, Arum said.

Margarito (34-4, 24 KOs), out with an injury to his right wrist, plans to attend Cotto's welterweight bout against Oktay Urkal on March 3 at Roberto Clemente Coliseo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. If Cotto (28-0, 23 KOs) wins - he's a betting favorite of nearly 20-1 - a formal announcement of the Cotto-Margarito fight will be made that night, according to Top Rank.

"This is the biggest fight out there for me," Margarito said. "I am anxious to get into the ring against Cotto."

Super hype

De La Hoya and Mayweather are expected to attend the Super Bowl and related festivities in Miami to hype their May 5 fight. Interviews are scheduled with the NFL Network, ESPN and along "radio row." The two also will participate in an 11-city media tour later this month.