Cyber Boxing Zone -- News

TUESDAY'S FIVE STAR FLASH: PEDRO FERNANDEZ

DE LA HOYA-TRINIDAD CLOSE TO FRUITION

In the nine days that have transpired since Felix Trinidad's win over Pernell Whitaker, promoters Don King and Bob Arum have planted enough seeds to make me believe that the mega match between boxing's Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad will take place on September 18, in Las Vegas.

LAY IT OUT FOR YOU

Last Monday, Arum met with Team De La Hoya in the L.A. area. The 1999 Hall of Fame inductee put forth the numbers that convinced any doubters in the room that the time to fight Trinidad was now. Arum predicted that this would be the biggest fight in the history of boxing, minus Mike Tyson. Bold Bob went so far as to throw out Pay Per View numbers that brought a silence in the room.

Arum thinks the fight could do two million homes on PPV. Add up the numbers, and we are talking about Totals nearing $100 million with the cable folks nabbing half. With figures like this, Oscar will make somewhere around $17 million, plus 50% of the promotion as ODLH Promotions will co-promote with Arum's Top Rank and King, who is bringing Tito to the dance.

MORE WATER FOR THE PLANT

Last week, Arum met with various hotels as everybody now wants to be a player in the fight game. Besides Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Hilton, MGM Grand, and new players like the soon to open Mandalay Bay, and the Rio all seeking major fights, with the Orleans Hotel looking for the mid level action, Las Vegas is set to make a return that will near the heydays of the 1980's.

FLASHBACK TO LAST WEDNESDAY

While Arum was at Sin City's McCarron Airport, King set up a conference call with (President) George Bush strongman and PR wiz Sig Rogich on the phone with him ringing the Top Rank office. Through the magic of cellular phones, Arum and King chatted De La Hoya-Trinidad.

TALKED OF ROADBLOCK

The major obstacle in keeping this fight from happening on September 18, is Showtime Entertainment Television's exclusive Pay Per View contract with King. This contractually prevents King from putting his fighters on TV KO (HBO PPV). The exception to the rule has been Evander Holyfield who will engage Lennox Lewis on PPV March 13.

ARUM IN SHOWTIME OFFICES

Yesterday, Arum was seen entering 1633 Broadway in NYC for a meeting with SET/Viacom bossman Jay Larkin. The main topic was De La Hoya-Trinidad and exactly how much will Larkin take to release Tito to fight on September 18.

NOBODY ANSWERING PHONES

Yesterday afternoon and early evening, Larkin, HBO's Sports VP Lou Di Bella, King, and Arum were all NOT answering the phones, be it at work, home, or in the case of King and Arum, at two separate NYC hotels.

IT'LL HAPPEN

If you want to see the superfight, be advised you should think about making reservations asap as the weekend of September 18, is Mexican Independence Day and hotel rooms are going to be at a premium.

OSCAR VS. OBA "NO BMW" CARR

On May 18, Oscar will make $6.5 million to change Oba Carr's oil. This gives the promotion better than four months to build up the fight between Mexican American De La Hoya and Puerto Rican Trinidad which will in my mind push the PPV total (including Dish TV) to better than the two million mark.

HBO CARD DID RECORD NUMBERS

The double header on HBO February 20, opened with an encore airing of De La Hoya-Ike Quartey. The live bout on the HBO Championship Boxing bill was Trinidad's thumping of Pernell Whitaker. The HBO ratings peaked at 16.3 during the live fight, a record outside of any non heavyweight broadcast.

HITZ IN CHICAGO

Chicago promoter Bobby Hitz has a show tomorrow night at a Ramada Inn with Angel Manfredy looking to sharpen things against XYZ in a dime prior to his meeting Ivan Robinson on HBO in April.

IBARRA RECOVERING

On January 29, Fernando Ibarra faced a fighter much better than him in Thai Ratanachai Vorapin, the #2 rated 115 lber. according to the IBF in St. Louis. The result was a one punch KO loss that resulted in a blood clot, massive brain surgery, and a fighter still, and possibly never being able to even remotely fend for himself again.

FIRST WORDS

Late last week, Ibarra spoke for the first time as he greeted him parents with a "surprise" hello. His rate of recovery is not yet known, but his hospital bills are nearing $100 K. And just like many Americans, the Mexican has no type of health insurance.

MIKIE WINS 50TH IN COMEBACK

Michael Carbajal, 19 months away from the ring, made a successful return Saturday night when Jose De Jesus couldn't come out for the sixth round. The former WBC/IBF 108 lb. champ scaled 114 lbs. against the 36-6-1, (23 KO's) De Jesus who was woefully out of shape. Carbajal moves to 46-4., while scoring KO #31.

Pedro Fernandez

The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com as well as being a syndicated talk show host with the Talk America Radio Network(s) Saturday and Sunday at 11:06 PM ET.

SATURDAY TWO HOURS ON TALK "1"

It's two hours of Ring Talk on the Talk America "1" Radio Network at 11:06 PM ET Saturday night.

SUNDAY, ONE HOUR ON TALK "2" AKA The DEUCE

On Sunday, the show is an hour in duration (beginning at 11:06 PM ET) on the Talk America "2" Radio Network, aka "The Deuce."

BOTH NETWORKS HAVE LIVE INTERNET AUDIO

At www.talkamerica.com you can download the free audio software if your computer doesn't have an audio program. It takes about three minutes. Oh, and yes BOTH networks have separate LIVE Internet audio channels at www.talkamerica.com