Phillips battling to keep trainer

Dean Juipe

Thursday, April 27, 2000 | 9:12 a.m.

When Vince Phillips steps into the ring Friday night in Lafayette, La., there will be more than a minor boxing title at stake.

Phillips will need to win to retain the services of his trainer, Kenny Adams.

"If he loses, I'll have to walk away," Adams said before he and Phillips departed Wednesday for Louisiana, where Phillips will tangle with Ricky Quiles on a card promoted by Murad Muhammad.

The bout is a pivotal one for Phillips in many respects. While the Las Vegas resident is a former world champion, he is also closing in on 37 years old and is coming off a loss to Vernon Forrest.

The latter setback, a decision loss Jan. 22 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas with the North American Boxing Federation welterweight title at stake, lowered Phillips' record to 40-5.

He's fighting Quiles at 140 pounds, which is his best fighting weight and where he won the International Boxing Federation championship by upsetting Kostya Tszyu in 1997.

"Vince, at 140, cracks them and they go, even against good competition," Adams remarked. "He's still a banger with a little boxing ability and better suited for the guys at 140."

Phillips, whose weight problems are fairly notorious, was within two pounds of being at weight as he left for Louisiana.

"I'm going down there to win this fight," he said. "I believe I should win, but I know I have to stay on top of him. Quiles will run and jab if you let him, and I don't want to fight him like that."

This is a rematch of sorts, as Quiles defeated Phillips when both were amateurs in 1988. "Actually, I thought I deserved to win that fight," Phillips recalled.

If he doesn't win this one, his long-running partnership with Adams may be at an end.

"If he loses, he won't be able to go anywhere with his career," Adams said. "Realistically, I'd have to quit working with him because to lose to Quiles would mean it's time to hang 'em up.

"I wouldn't need it anymore and he wouldn't need it anymore."

But Phillips isn't approaching the fight as if a loss would automatically send him into retirement.

"I know what Kenny's saying," he said. "He's looking at my age and things like that. But I look at it like this: I've been pretty dominant at 140 and I honestly believe I can win a major championship again.

"I'm not ready to quit."

With a victory he not only wouldn't have any reason to quit, he'd have a reason to celebrate.

"Tszyu's people have called and they want to fight him again," Adams said of the Russian, who lives in Australia and now holds the World Boxing Council title at 140. "They want revenge and that's a fight we'd be happy to take, even though it would be tough to win if we fought down there."

Ahead on one scorecard, behind on another and even on the third, Phillips knocked out Tszyu in the 10th round when they fought three years ago in Atlantic City. That victory remains the crowning moment of Phillips' pro career, which began in 1989 when he moved to Las Vegas after a stint in the U.S. Army.

Adams, who also coached him as an amateur, knows his man well enough that he's encouraged after seeing him in this training camp, which was held at the Ringside Gym and included several days' sparring with Kevin Kelly.

"Vince has never looked especially strong sparring, but he seems to be strong right now," Adams said. "He's in good shape. We started five weeks ago when he was at 158 pounds and he's gradually worked it off.

"He seems to have the determination and dedication it takes."

That said, Adams has noticed a slight decline in Phillips' skills.

"To be honest, the only thing I'm not pleased with is that Vince doesn't seem to react to things as well as he once did," Adams said. "Is that age? I don't know.

"He's basically the same fighter he's always been, so I have to believe he can still do it. I know I'm hoping he does, because some of the biggest wins I've had in my career have come working his corner."