Full house to watch De La Hoya-Chavez

The weigh-in gave Oscar De La Hoya a taste of what the crowd reaction may be like tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center.

On a makeshift stage near the fountains in front of Caesars Palace, De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez stepped on the scales to confirm their welterweight status. A huge gathering of tourists and boxing aficionados looked on.

While De La Hoya had his fans, those supporting Chavez were chanting and extremely vocal. They demonstrated a certain unity Thursday afternoon that may be apparent again tonight.

"Chavez's fans don't bother me," De La Hoya said. "I could buy them all a beer and they'd like me."

With 18,500 tickets sold, De La Hoya and Chavez will square off in a sold-out T&M with De La Hoya's World Boxing Council 147-pound title on the line. The champion is a minus 900 favorite in the sports book at Caesars, with Chavez a plus 650 underdog.

De La Hoya, 28-0, will be paid $10 million for the fight.

Chavez, 101-2-2, will receive $2 million.

"This is just the beginning for me," De La Hoya said, his plans already including a Nov. 21 fight in Las Vegas with Ike Quartey and a likely fight next May with fellow champion Felix Trinidad. "I'm not yet the fighter I want to be, but I'm working on it.

"In a couple of years I hope to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

That's a designation Chavez once enjoyed. But, at 36 years old, the six-time former world champion is thought to be in decline although he looks fit and says he's ready for his rematch with the 25-year-old De La Hoya.

Their first fight, in 1996, ended in the fourth round with De La Hoya declared the winner due to cuts on Chavez's face.

"I gave him too much respect that night," De La Hoya said. "That won't be the case this time. I'm not giving him any respect because he made excuses after our last fight, and, to this day, he hasn't admitted he lost."

With vengeance on his mind, De La Hoya is all but promising a knockout.

"That's the only way I can get his respect," he said. "When he leaves himself wide open, that's when I'll go on the attack.

"I'm motivated to knock him out."

Belittling Chavez has crossed De La Hoya's mind as well.

"I'm prepared to make him look like an amateur," he said, risking the wrath of the crowd again.

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