Mittleman Is Now on the Other Side of De La Hoya

It has been almost four years since Robert Mittleman had 11% of the gold mine, and he can do the math.

Even if he doesn’t really want to, Mittleman, one of Oscar De La Hoya’s original co-managers until he and Steve Nelson were fired in December, 1993, can’t help but look at De La Hoya’s bout against Hector Camacho last month, and wince.

“I heard he made around $10 million against Camacho,” Mittleman said with a small grin. “Which means $1.1 million

would’ve been mine and $1.1 million would’ve been Steve Nelson’s and $1.1 million would’ve gone to his father, who was our partner. Oscar’s father, by the way, never wanted us to leave.

“It was [original trainer] Robert Alcazar’s thing. Of course, he’s only fired Alcazar twice since then. . . . “

Alcazar, though he has been replaced as head trainer several times, has maintained his ties with De La Hoya, and proudly sat next to him on the podium Thursday at a news conference to promote the fighter’s World Boxing Council welterweight title defense Dec. 6 in Atlantic City, leading a pay-per-view card.

Mittleman, the key strategist of De La Hoya’s early days, was on the podium too, but this time as the advisor of De La Hoya’s opponent, hard-hitting Wilfredo Rivera, the guy who made his name in two tough fights--both losses--against Pernell Whitaker last year.

So, things have come relatively full circle for Mittleman, who was a little-known, small-time New York boxing guy before shocking the fight world by landing De La Hoya coming off of his 1992 Olympic gold medal.

When De La Hoya dumped Mittleman and Nelson--and took over his own management, giving promoter Bob Arum a major role in his career and installing businessman Mike Hernandez as his top financial advisor--he said that the two men had missed bonus payments and that he never felt a chemistry with them.

Mittleman and Nelson sued, then settled for a $250,000 one-time payment plus other incentives that brought the package to about $1 million. Their last fight with De La Hoya was his last as a non-champion, against Narciso Valenzuela in Phoenix in October, 1993.

Since then, De La Hoya has won 14 fights--pumping his record to 26-0, with 21 knockouts--and grossed about $50 million, almost $32 million of that in 1997 if you add in the December purse. In his 12 fights with Mittleman and Nelson, De La Hoya never made more than $500,000, although he fired the two on the cusp of his money-making breakthrough.

And, Mittleman concedes, he is welcoming the chance to bring a fighter in against his former prize.

“Well, it’s a good payday,” said Mittleman, whose fighter is receiving $600,000 for the bout, while De La Hoya earns $6 million. “And I wouldn’t mind seeing Oscar take a little bit of a beating. He’s got one coming.

“I’m living good, I have a house in Chicago, I have a condo on the beach in [Florida]. . . . I’m not bitter toward Oscar. But are you asking if I want to see him get the crap kicked out of him by Rivera? Of course, I do.”

With the 28-year-old Rivera (27-2-1, 18 KOs), whose first, pounding, body-punching fight with Whitaker was a direct contrast to De La Hoya’s defensive struggle against the same boxer, Mittleman says he has a fighter who can take advantage of De La Hoya’s weaknesses.

“Oscar’s a good fighter--I will never say Oscar’s not a good fighter,” Mittleman said. “He’s got terrific hand speed and a tremendous left hand. But his right hand is nothing much to speak of. . . .

“He’s still a good fighter, but the jury has to be out on him. I got him his first title fight, Jimmi Bredahl [in March 1994]. And he’s gone ahead and fought a bunch of guys that are going to go down in nobody’s hall of fame. Maybe [Julio Cesar] Chavez. But it was Chavez five years past his best. He’s fighting small guys, he’s fighting old guys, he’s fighting old, small guys. Wilfredo is none of the above.”

Asked about Mittleman’s presence as a Rivera insider, De La Hoya, who has amiably chatted with Mittleman during this press tour, doesn’t try to hide a smile.

“It’s . . . interesting,” De La Hoya said. “But you know what? There’s no friction whatsoever. Hey, he was trying to do his job. I did my job, and things didn’t work out. We went our own ways. It was like a divorce, you know?

“The lawsuits have been dropped, and thank God everything is behind me. But of course, there’s motivation there. There’s great motivation to beat Rivera because of Mittleman.”

NEXT YEAR: STILL UNCLEAR

De La Hoya says he wants to fight both Terry Norris, who’s on the Dec. 6 undercard against Keith Mullings, and Whitaker in 1998, but isn’t sure in which order. He is negotiating with Arum about the order and the money.

Arum would like De La Hoya to fight Norris, who is also signed with Arum, in April, then fight Whitaker again in November.

Off the schedule for now is De La Hoya’s mandatory title defense against No. 1 contender Patrick Charpentier, originally slated for February in Japan. Because of lagging interest in Japan, and with questions about Charpentier’s credibility, apparently neither HBO nor the WBC sees a great need to force that fight any time soon.

QUICK JABS

World Boxing Assn. champion Evander Holyfield will try to unify two pieces of the heavyweight title Nov. 8 against International Boxing Federation title holder Michael Moorer, but already is eyeing a potential 1998 showdown with WBC champion Lennox Lewis. Holyfield concedes that Moorer, who beat Holyfield in 1994, has a tough style. Holyfield likes aggressive fighters who come at him, so he can counterpunch at will. Moorer is left-handed, throws clean punches one at a time, and rarely engages in wars.

Lewis, however, judging by his demolition of Andrew Golota earlier this month, is a big guy who seems more eager to rumble.

“I think a fight with Lennox Lewis would pretty much close out my career,” Holyfield said. “That’s one of the fights that will be a very interesting fight because he does have a style that matches up with mine well. He’s a traditional set-up fighter--basic punches, good right hand, good jabs, and he comes forward. He looks to whack you out with one shot.”

Junior-welterweight Hector Lopez, one of the most consistent performers who isn’t a champion, headlines a Channel 9 show tonight against Angel Beltre from the Tropicana in Las Vegas. This will be the 10th fight in the last two years for the 30-year-old Lopez, who shows no signs of slowing down. He is frustrated, however, by his lack of title shots.

“If I don’t get the world title within the next year, maybe I’ll just call it a day,” Lopez said. “But, I like it. . . . In boxing, when you start getting hit a lot, it’s time to go. When your legs start going, it’s time to go. And neither one of them has happened to me.”

Lopez says he would like to fight Rafael Ruelas, a former stablemate and the brother of Gabriel Ruelas, who was recently knocked out by Arturo Gatti.

“I’ve got nothing against the Ruelases,” Lopez said. “But if they want to get another one knocked out, that’s fine. That doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Oxnard junior-lightweight Robert Garcia is trying to break from his 10-year promotional contract with Don King, frustrated that King has not gotten him a title shot, even though Garcia has been the IBF’s No. 1 contender for more than a year. Scott Woodworth, one of Garcia’s managers, has spirited Terry and Orlin Norris away from King. But getting free from King doesn’t mean that a lucrative fight with Gatti, the IBF champion, is a guarantee. Gatti has been saying he wants to move up in weight, which means Garcia probably will have to fight another of King’s fighters, Harold Warren, for the vacant title sometime next year.

Concerned about the winter cold, De La Hoya is considering moving his training camp for the Rivera fight away from Big Bear, to Palm Springs or even Cabo San Lucas. Also, De La Hoya, who proposed to his 18-year-old girlfriend over the summer, says he has broken off the engagement.

CALENDAR

Monday: Leonardo Mas vs. Larry Dixon, welterweights; Giorbis Barthelemy vs. Carlos Baldomir, welterweights; Forum, 7:15 p.m.