In the Dept. of Legal Showboating: The stripper suing boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya for $100 million showed up to court today to begin her case, and duly offered a full photo op in front of the courthouse.

But get this -- when it came time to start the actual proceedings, Milana Dravnel got a case of nerves and couldn't bring herself to walk into the courtroom. And Oscar didn't even show! Her lawyer, Salvatore Strazzullo, tells TMZ she was "too nervous" to face the federal court judge, even though very little went down. De La Hoya's legal team requested arbitration, and that's about it.

Dravnel wants $100 million from De La Hoya for defamation, after he claims she fabricated photos showing him wearing women's lingerie in a Philly hotel. They're due back in court May 2.