LAS VEGAS -- A wedge has been driven between them.

From the fighters to their promoters to their entourage flunkies, Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad may be farther apart now than they ever were before their disappointing welterweight unification bout Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The fight was far from the epic battle it was hyped to be, a would-be reminder of the days when the 147-pound division was studded with Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

Still, Trinidad's majority-decision victory lays a perfect foundation upon which to build an intriguing rematch. After all, these are two excellent boxers. A second go-round, unfortunately, is far from automatic.

Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter, and Don King, Trinidad's promoter, bickered throughout the postfight press conference. King, who played second fiddle to Arum on this promotion, wants the contract reversed 180 degrees in his favor now that Trinidad has both the IBF and WBC belts.

"Bob Arum had all the distinct advantages," King said. "He got the money and he deserved that because his fighter was more popular. I have no qualms with that.

"But now we don't have to negotiate no contract. I'm willing to give him a rematch under the same conditions he gave me. Just put my name where Bob Arum's name was and his name where my name was."

Replied Arum: "That'll be the day."

Remember, though: It's De La Hoya, not Arum, who controls his future. Arum wanted his star client to take a rematch with Ike Quartey, but De La Hoya struck that idea dead. De La Hoya instead ordered Arum to make the Trinidad fight happen.

If De La Hoya really wants a rematch with Trinidad, that's what he'll get.

Arum and De La Hoya emphatically claimed the decision was wrong, and the numbers back them up. According to punch statistics provided by CompuBox Inc., De La Hoya threw 648 punches to Trinidad's 462 and landed 41 percent to Trinidad's 36 percent. De La Hoya also landed more jabs, 143-42. Trinidad threw more power punches, but De La Hoya landed at a higher rate.

"What else do I have to do?" De La Hoya asked.

Bob Logiste of Belgium and Jerry Roth of Las Vegas scored the bout 115-114 and 115-113, respectively, for Trinidad. Glen Hamada of Tacoma, Wash., had it even at 114. ESPN.com also scored it a draw.

"I'm not hurt, and I'm not disappointed," De La Hoya said with a smile on his face and a welt under his left eye. "If I felt like a defeated fighter, I'd be disappointed and admit I lost."

Despite the first defeat of his career and the fact that he easily lost the last three rounds because he ran, De La Hoya did not lose his mantle as boxing's "Golden Boy." There was enough controversy surrounding the scoring that Trinidad needs a rematch more than De La Hoya, who will continue to rake in the money that falls on him like autumn leaves.

It must be remembered that De La Hoya's persona drove sales for this fight. Once Top Rank Inc. and TVKO count the mountain of pay-per-view receipts, De La Hoya could make in excess of $20 million, and Trinidad -- who remains relatively anonymous to many casual boxing fans -- more than $10 million. The estimated total fight revenue was reported to be $80 million, easily making this the biggest non-heavyweight event in boxing history.

"We'll see how the public supports Felix Trinidad in his next fight," Arum said.

Neither De La Hoya nor Arum, however, specifically addressed the possibility of a rematch. De La Hoya only said he was "going to take a long time off. I'm very disappointed with boxing right now."

Trinidad didn't show up for the postfight news conference, instead choosing to meet the press Sunday at the Las Vegas Hilton.

TVKO boxing executive Lou DiBella announced after the decision that his network would continue to honor its contract with De La Hoya as it stood prior to the loss. The cable giant could have drastically reduced the money it pays De La Hoya, but chose to stand by its man.

"Felix absolutely needs a rematch more than Oscar," DiBella said. "Oscar went in that ring a star and left that ring as a star. The fight was fairly inconclusive. Felix needs a rematch to put the exclamation point on things. This fight did not turn Felix Trinidad into Oscar De La Hoya."

It's easy to question such logic. After all, wasn't De La Hoya the one who edged Pernell Whitaker and Quartey in equally controversial fashion? Neither got a rematch from the Golden Boy.

But that only bolsters the Oscar-doesn't-need-anyone-else-to-make-money line of thinking.

And if that's the case, what is left for Trinidad?

If Arum and De La Hoya don't want to accept his terms, King said he wouldn't hesitate to have Trinidad try to further unify the welterweight title with a match against WBA champ James Page. Or Trinidad could take on Quartey, Shane Mosley or anyone else, for that matter.

As for De La Hoya, there was enough doubt in the decision Saturday night that he'll make money no matter whom he fights next. De La Hoya is one of only a handful of fighters who can make money even when he doesn't fight. Trinidad is far from that plateau.