LAS VEGAS – A boxing weekend at the MGM Grand got off to an unexpected start yesterday when two veteran boxing scribes traded blows in the media center for this weekend’s double-header featuring Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins.

Ron Borges of the Boston Globe and Mike Katz, who is covering the fight for the New York Times, got into an altercation amid a group of reporters interviewing Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. While Katz and Borges went at each other, Arum got caught in the middle of the exchange and was knocked to the floor. He was unhurt as were the two combatants, who had to be separated by several peacemakers. The Post scored the fight a 10-10 draw with Katz using his cane to offset his neck brace.