In Making De La Hoya-Chavez II, Arum Is Banking on Emotions

Ever since Oscar De La Hoya stopped Julio Cesar Chavez in the fourth round at Caesars Palace in June 1996--Chavez had a deep cut over his left eye--Chavez has insisted he lost on a fluke.

Only his hard-core followers believed him.

But there apparently are enough of those to make promoter Bob Arum a believer in the financial soundness of a rematch.

And so, if each fighter wins his next fight--considered a mere formality--De La Hoya-Chavez II for De La Hoya’s World Boxing Council welterweight crown will be held Sept. 18 at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.

It will pit the 25-year-old De La Hoya, two years stronger and more polished than he was the first time, against Chavez, who will be 36 by fight time, two years older and slower than the first time around.

But it will be emotion, not logic, that sells this fight.

In amassing a 100-2-2 record with 83 knockouts, Chavez has become one of Mexico’s greatest sports heroes.

And despite a 27-0 record with 22 knockouts and an Olympic gold medal from the 1992 Games, De La Hoya has never been accepted by much of the Mexican-American population of Los Angeles, to say nothing of fight fans in Mexico. Many look at him with disdain as the spoiled rich kid who has besmirched a Mexican legend.

De La Hoya, who has not fought since December because of an injured left wrist, must first defend his WBC title June 13 against Patrick Charpentier of France in El Paso. Chavez will fight an opponent to be determined on June 25 in Connecticut.