WBC Welterweight Wilfredo Rivera salutes his supporters during the final news conference for his fight against WBC Champion Oscar De La Hoya at Caesars Atlantic City Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997. Rivera will challenge De La Hoya at the Atlantic City Convention Hall Saturday, Dec. 6. REX ARBOGAST/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Power play for De La Hoya, Rivera

Web posted December 5, 1997

By Ed Schuyler Jr.
Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Oscar De La Hoya and Wilfredo Rivera, graduates of the Pernell Whitaker school of finesse, get to play the power game Saturday night.

De La Hoya will defend the WBC welterweight title he won with a unanimous and disputed decision over Whitaker on April 12.

``It was controversial because of the times he made me miss,'' the unbeaten De La Hoya said Thursday. ``People aren't counting my power punches or my aggression. I always say Whitaker went out there to last, to make me look bad.''

Rivera said he thought the fight in which De La Hoya dropped to a knee in the ninth round should have been a draw.

Both losses on the Puerto Rican's 27-2-1 record, with 18 knockouts, were to Whitaker when Whitaker was still champion. The first was a split decision loss April 12, 1996. Whitaker won a unanimous decision in the rematch on Sept. 20, 1996, in which both fighters were knocked down.

``The first time with Whitaker I say, `Oh, I win the fight,'' Rivera said. ``They judges say, `no.'

``People know Whitaker is the most difficult boxer in history,'' he added.

So, it seems, De La Hoya and Whitaker are happy to be fighting each other.

``He's heavy-handed and very confident,'' De La Hoya said. ``Those are the kind of fighters that suit me. He can take a punch and he's determined to win.''

And to De La Hoya that means Rivera will come to fight.

``I see a tremendous fight,'' Rivera said. ``He has speed, I have speed. He's tall, I'm tall (about 5-foot-11).

De La Hoya (26-0, 21 knockouts) was a 9-1 favorite to win the featured bout on a championship tripleheader at the Convention Center that will be carried on pay-per-view by TVKO beginning at 9 p.m. EST. The Californian's fight is expected to start between 11:15 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.

In the other two fights, Terry Norris of Campo, Calif., will defend the WBC super welterweight title against Keith Mullings of Fayetteville, N.C., and Raul Marquez of Houston will defend the IBF junior middleweight championship against Yory Boy Campas of Mexico.

Norris (47-6, 31 knockouts) was a 6-1 favorite over Mullings (14-4-1, nine knockouts), who in his last fight Sept. 13 lost a split decision in a title bid against Marquez.

Marquez, battered and bleeding at the end of that fight, said Thursday he had hand problems against Mullings and produced photos that showed the back of his left hand and the fingers on both hands to be badly swollen.

`Every punch I threw was painful,'' Marquez said. ``But, oh yeah, I thought I won. I watched the tape and I had it 7-5 for me.''

``I thought Mullings won the fight,'' Norris said.

``Norris thinks he's going to win,'' Marquez countered. ``He thinks it's going to be easy. I wouldn't be surprised if Keith wins. He's strong, real strong, and he's got a hard head.''

Marquez (28-0, 20 knockouts) was a 7-5 favorite over Campas (68-2, 58 knockouts). All but 16 of Campas' fights have been in Mexico against opponent who are mostly unknown to U.S. fight fans.

``I don't care who he's fought,'' Marquez said. ``When you've knocked out 58 guys, you've got power.''