Columnist Dean Juipe: Arum accused of meddling

Dean Juipe

Thursday, May 11, 2000 | 10:01 a.m.

Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Dan Goossen was on the phone -- and on the warpath.

The America Presents promoter was incensed with rival promoter -- and former employer -- Bob Arum, who, he alleges, tried to pilfer a fighter from his promotional stable, Hector Camacho Jr.

"Bob initially denied it but a day later he admitted, 'Sure, I'd be interested in Camacho if he was free,' " Goossen said. "Well, he's under contract to us for four more years but that didn't stop Arum from trying to steal him anyway."

Goossen maintains Arum approached Camacho's manager, Mike Acri, about leaving America Presents for Top Rank. A Top Rank spokesman said the allegation is false.

"I'm tired of this kind of stuff," Goossen said. "Arum's style is to press forward and trample anything that gets in his way, disregarding anybody else's rights. The only recourse is taking it to a court of law, but you're looking at having to spend $100,000 or $200,000 just to get there.

"I'm tired of cease-and-desist orders and I'm tired of court cases."

Arum, coincidentally, has spent the last two days in Florida, where he met with another promoter, Don King, regarding a lawsuit King had filed against Top Rank concerning Julio Cesar Chavez. In that suit, King alleges Top Rank used Chavez for a second fight with Oscar De La Hoya in 1998 even though Chavez was under contract to Don King Productions.

A similar suit was filed after Chavez fought De La Hoya the first time in 1996, and Arum settled the matter by paying King $1 million.

An out-of-court settlement in this second case appears likely, particularly with Arum and King talking about rematching De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad Sept. 8 in Las Vegas.

"Arum told me they were close to a settlement," Top Rank's Lee Samuels said Wednesday of the court matter. "It's not a big deal; a higher priority for both of them is arranging the rematch with Trinidad."

While litigation is a way of life for those in the business of boxing, Goossen would rather not have any part of it.

"It's the nature of the business simply because we don't have a commissioner to oversee the sport," he said. "We all chalk it up to boxing but the problem is not boxing, it's the people in boxing.

"The way I see it, the only alternative to taking everything to court is for some sort of public flogging. If we can publicly humiliate men like Arum, maybe we can eliminate these illegal and unethical acts."

Camacho Jr., 24-0, is slated to fight July 1 at the MGM in Las Vegas as part of the Chavez vs. Kostya Tszyu undercard.

* HURT BUT HAPPY: For a second consecutive fight, local junior welterweight David Sample dislocated his shoulder during a bout. And, as happened earlier, he still managed to win in spite of the incapacitation.

"I'm pretty sure I need surgery," Sample said Wednesday before a meeting with Dr. Robert Voy. "The dilemma is that I have another fight in 90 days and I want to take that one and then maybe have the surgery."

Sample, 29-6-1, earned a 12-round decision over Denver's Arthur Cruz last Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M. Despite the handicap he encountered in the third round, Sample won by eight, seven and six points on the judges' cards.

"He was tough but I stunned him a few times," Sample said. "After my shoulder came out I kind of danced around and tried to get it to pop back in, but I couldn't. The round seemed to last six minutes. You could see the bone sticking through the skin."

Between rounds the ringside physician examined Sample and told his corner if the situation worsened he would have to stop the fight. Sample persevered and was rewarded not only with a victory but a minor title.

"I only had one round of sparring for the fight because my shoulder popped out in the gym here, too," Sample said. "I know I've got to have something done. It really hurts today but I'm still excited about the win."

* AN ONGOING SAGA: Even if his trainer feels he should retire and may refuse to work further with him, former world champion Vince Phillips of Las Vegas said this week he's not about to call it quits.

"Of course I'm going to keep fighting," he said, countering trainer Kenny Adams' remarks in this space last week that maybe it's time for Phillips to get out of the game. "I've been with Coach Adams for 16 years and I love him dearly, but I have an agenda to follow and if he doesn't want to be part of it, so be it."

Phillips, 40-5-1 and coming off a draw with Ricky Quiles, indicated a new trainer might be what he really needs.

"I'm not 26 anymore," he admitted, with his 37th birthday on the horizon. "Maybe I need to have some changes in strategy and physical preparation and mental preparation.

"I'll always be a strong puncher but I've got to be wiser. I can't stop every guy I fight. If Coach Adams isn't willing to make those adjustments and work with me, a decision will have to be made."

He said the two will meet in the near future to decide a course of action.

* QUICK HITS: IBF junior middleweight champ Fernando Vargas will fight Aug. 26 on HBO at a site and against an opponent yet to be determined, although he may use that date to get his mandatory with former Las Vegan Ross Thompson out of the way. Thompson, who now lives in Buffalo, has mysteriously risen to No. 1 in the IBF rankings, in part, perhaps, as the result of signing with promoter Don King. Vargas is coming off a win over Ike Quartey. ... After a little juggling, the Orleans appears to have its primary fights in order for its May 19 card. Headlining in a 10-round featherweight bout will be former three-time world champion Manuel Medina, 56-11, against Frankie Toledo, 37-4-1, who is stepping in for the earlier announced Jose Pablo Estrella. Raul Perez, 61-5-3, and Jorge Parades, 17-6-4, will meet in a second 10-round featherweight fight. ... Do Mike Tyson's good deeds outweigh his bad ones? They do as far as Golden Gloves Gym operator Faye Miller is concerned. "Because of Mike we were able to put six new (swamp) coolers in the gym," she said, presenting a bill for $6,150 that Tyson allegedly paid.

For all of his talk about being boxing's "pound-for-pound" champion, Roy Jones doesn't exactly have a legion of admirers. He's defending his undisputed light heavyweight titles against Richard Hall on Saturday in Indianapolis and on HBO, but a competitive match isn't expected. "Hall is a joke and the division is a joke," Las Vegas oddsmaker Herb Lambeck said, making Jones a 100-1 favorite. "Jones does a lot of talking and he's certainly a talented fighter, but he's had only one big fight (vs. James Toney) and he can't draw a crowd. He's a safety-first fighter and I don't think he has the desire for much else." Once again Jones has been mulling a move to heavyweight, but Lambeck doesn't see it happening. "He had a chance to fight Buster Douglas before (Lou) Savarese beat him, and he would have won that fight," he said. "And I thought he could beat Evander H olyfield. But Lennox Lewis is too big for him and I just don't think Jones wants to get hit by guys like that."

USBA heavyweight champ David Tua is training at Mt. Charleston for a fight with Obed Sullivan that will be held in Las Vegas on June 3. ... Orlin Norris, 50-5, gets the assignment to face Andrew Golota, 35-4, June 16 at Mandalay Bay. ... Top Rank has added a plethora of dates around its June 17 card in Los Angeles that features Oscar De La Hoya vs. Shane Mosley. Separate cards are scheduled for Los Angeles June 16 (with Antonio Diaz featured), the afternoon of June 17 (with Stevie Johnston on top) and June 18 (with Paulie Ayala in the main event). The promotional firm is referring to the blitz as "A Festival of Boxing." ... If the tax break given to Top Rank for the De La Hoya vs. Mosley card at the Staples Center is rescinded, the show will go on as scheduled "and we'll pay the tax" said Top Rank's Lee Samuels. A California State Assembly committee was me eting on the subject this week, although Arum was so unconcerned he did not attend. The estimated value of the tax break is! $450,000.