FORGET ME NOT : After a devastating loss to Oscar De La Hoya, former champion Rafael Ruelas continues his comeback tonight at the Country Club, where it all began

RESEDA —  Much has changed for Rafael Ruelas in the four years since he last fought at the Reseda Country Club.

Ruelas, 25, is the veteran of a fistful of stormy professional bouts and on the comeback trail, rather than among the up and coming.

He’s still rebounding from a devastating loss to Oscar De La Hoya.

But one fact will ring familiar for Ruelas tonight when he faces Javier Arce in a 10-round junior welterweight bout--he is seeking a world title.

“The first time I fought there I was 17,” said Ruelas, the former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion who grew up in Sylmar. “There are a lot of memories. I have a different feeling about it now. I guess that comes with age.”

In February 1993, Ruelas was a skinny, hard-punching lightweight when he stopped Robert Rivera in the third round at the Country Club, his last fight at Reseda.

Twelve months later, Ruelas won the IBF title with a 12-round victory over Freddie Pendleton at the Forum.

Today, Ruelas, is a beefier, better-proportioned 140-pound fighter with four consecutive victories.

Ruelas (47-3 with 37 knockouts) still packs a punch. And he still should be able to pack the Country Club with his legion of local fans.

“We earned a lot of fans at the Country Club,” said Ruelas, who, along with his brother, Gabriel, fought regularly at Reseda from 1989-93.

But does Ruelas, perhaps past his prime and keenly aware of public perceptions, still have the ability to become a champion?

“I know a lot of the boxing media has written me off,” he said. “It motivates me.”

Doubting began when Ruelas lost his title De La Hoya in Las Vegas in May 1995.

In a fight expected to be competitive between two celebrated Southern California champions, De La Hoya, a 2-1 favorite, floored Ruelas twice before the fight was stopped at 1:43 of the second round. It all started with a thunderous left hook to the jaw.

“If you look at the fight, it was one punch that he caught me with,” Ruelas said.

Even more surprising, Ruelas lost his next fight five months later, a 12-round decision to southpaw George Scott in the Bahamas.

In both fights, Ruelas said, he had difficulty making weight. Moving to 140 for his next fight against Tomas Barrientes in April, Ruelas sent his opponent through the ropes while recording a second-round knockout.

Ruelas followed with a second-round knockout of Mike Walsh and a 10-round decision over Livingstone Bramble before recording a fifth-round knockout of Jaime “Rocky” Balboa on Dec. 3.

Ruelas is ranked fifth among super lightweights by the World Boxing Council and eighth among junior welterweights by the IBF.

A rematch with De La Hoya, the WBC super lightweight champion, might slip away, considering De La Hoya will move up to 147 pounds to fight WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker in April.

But Ruelas is more concerned with matters at hand.

“I wish it could have been different,” Ruelas said of the fight with De La Hoya. “I would have liked to have seen the fans more satisfied. For now, I have other goals in mind, to get the championship at 140 pounds.”

The fight against Arce (15-10, 11 knockouts), 25, largely is a tune-up to keep Ruelas active. Promoter Dan Goossen said Ruelas is on pace toward challenging for a title, perhaps as soon as this summer.

“The key thing is, since Rafael [moved to 140], he’s been winning and winning impressively,” Goossen said.

Trainer Joe Goossen said Ruelas, always superbly conditioned, might have found his ideal weight.

“All things considered, Rafael has been a transformed fighter,” Joe Goossen said. “He’s back to knocking out guys. The only guy he hasn’t knocked out is Livingstone Bramble, who no one knocks out.”

Ruelas, who has trained with Goossen since he was 12, has made a career of getting off the mat.

Ruelas was knocked down for the first time in his career by Roberto Rios at the Country Club in 1990. He got up and knocked out Rios in the second round.

Ruelas suffered his first loss of his career at Reseda in 1991, being knocked out in the second round by Mauro Gutierrez, largely because he and Joe Goossen lost track of the referee’s count.

When he won his title against Pendleton, Ruelas twice rose from the canvas in the first 90 seconds before winning in 12 rounds.

Ruelas’ tenacity has carried him when his talent has lagged.

“He’s always worked harder at it than me,” said Gabriel Ruelas, former WBC junior lightweight champion. “When he started, he was really skinny. People told him he would never make it. People said, ‘Stay in school and be a lawyer.’ ”

Engaged to be married in August, he hinted retirement, rather than a rematch with De La Hoya, might soon follow.

“A lot of fighters are forced to carry on for financial reasons,” Ruelas said. “I’m very happy. I would like to fight [De La Hoya] again. If we’re both reigning champions that would be a fight the public would demand. But I would be OK if I never fought him again.”