BOXING : Reports of Trouble, Changes in Douglas Camp

Is the Buster Douglas story turning out to be another of those sad, familiar chapters so common in boxing?

Some observers in and around Columbus, Ohio, fear so. Twelve weeks before Douglas’ first title defense, there are rumblings of dissension and shakeups in the camp of the fighter who in February dethroned Mike Tyson in boxing’s biggest upset. There are rumors that Butch Lewis, who played his only ace, Michael Spinks, into a then-record $13.5-million payday against Tyson in 1988, is telling Douglas he can do the same for him. There are whispers that some of Douglas’ old friends from Columbus have suddenly reappeared, and that John Johnson, Douglas’ long-time manager, may be on shaky ground because of the handling of the Douglas-Don King lawsuit, recently settled out of court.

This much is known: Douglas has decided to separate himself from Johnson’s COACH, Inc., a boxing management firm. Likewise, Douglas has told Johnson he is no longer needed around the offices of James Buster Douglas Inc., a dummy corporation and tax-shelter Douglas set up after the Tyson fight. Sources say he fired Johnson’s son, John Jr., even though Johnson Jr. was involved in a Columbus boxing promotion that was to fund the opening of a youth education center named after Douglas’ late mother, Lula Pearl Douglas. Meanwhile, Douglas has hired two old friends -- Rodney Rogers as his “executive assistant� and bodyguard, and Larry Nally as his accountant. Also, Douglas’ wife, Bertha, who left him before the Tyson fight, is back, and the couple expects a child in January. That’s a lot of changes over the past six months.

“I’m still James Douglas’ manager and I’m still going to get my 23 percent,� said Johnson, who signed a new three-year contract with Douglas after the Tyson fight. “There isn’t a conflict between James and me, it’s more a difference in investing strategies. It’s like a family. We fight and disagree, but we still love each other. If it’s anything more than that, James hasn’t told me.�

Johnson also said he would have Douglas call Newsday to set the record straight. Douglas never did, even after repeated messages. Said Johnson: “He just doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now. But he told me to tell you that it’s all bull, and that everyone will see we are together on Monday.�

Monday is the day of a New York news conference to officially begin the hype for Douglas-Evander Holyfield, now switched to Oct. 25 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Presumably, Johnson and Douglas will act all huggy-kissy for the media. Perhaps it will be sincere. But even Johnson had to admit the James Douglas he sees now is not quite the same man he saw before Tokyo.

“James is still James to a degree, and to a degree he’s not,� Johnson said. “I think he’s enjoying being the boss, calling all the shots. Some of them I agree with and some I disagree with.�

Is Johnson at all dismayed by the way things have turned for the man who dethroned Mike Tyson? “Yes and no,� he said. “All I can say is everybody has wings, and they got to spread them. James is just spreading his wings.�

And threatening to fly the coop?

Heavyweight Ray Mercer was the soul of Seoul, the cheerleader and father-figure for the 1988 U.S. Olympic boxing team and one of its three gold medalists. But deep down, his confidence was so shaky he had to move out on his roommate, super-heavyweight Riddick Bowe, when Bowe dared to broach the subject of defeat three days before the finals.

“One night, Bowe asked me if I ever thought about losing,� Mercer said. “Well, I was scared to death. I could hardly believe I was even in the Olympics. I didn’t need to hear any negatives, even from my teammates. That really turned me off. I took my mattress down to the living room and slept on the hard, cold floor for the next three days.�

Mercer, now 28 and 15-0 as a pro, says he no longer harbors any self-doubts. His scheduled 12-round bout against NABF champ Smokin’ Bert Cooper Sunday at Caesars Atlantic City is likely to be Mercer’s toughest test to date. The erratic Cooper quit against George Foreman last year -- and failed a postfight drug test -- but rebounded to score an upset TKO over Orlin Norris.

“I don’t know what he’s got left, but I’m going to find out,� Mercer said. “All I know is he comes out winging, and those guys are made for me.�

One guy Mercer would like to get is Bowe, who also is unbeaten and has been challenging his former teammate and roommate at every opportunity. “That incident in the Olympics showed me a lot about Bowe’s heart,� Mercer said. “I know he don’t have a heart and he knows he don’t have a heart. I don’t like him and I hate his ways.�

One fighter Mercer does respect is Foreman. “He’s an idol of mine,� Mercer said. “He’s turned every negative -- his age, his weight, his inactivity -- into a positive. And besides, he’s been out there waxing guys. You got to take him seriously.�

Speaking of Foreman, a telephone poll of some 14,000 USA Network witnesses to Foreman’s third-round KO of Ken Lakusta Tuesday night revealed that 73 percent believe Foreman would beat Tyson.

Those people are also big fans of Roseanne Barr.

Foreman got a nick under his right eye in the Lakusta fight. “My kids will tease me about it,� Foreman said, “They’ll say, ‘Sumo, you got a scratch.�’

Don King, who just two weeks ago characterized Mirage owner Steve Wynn as a combination Hitler and Attila the Hun, is said to be on the verge of making a deal with Wynn to have Julio Cesar Chavez fight either Meldrick Taylor or Hector Camacho at the Mirage in November.

Taylor (vs. Primo Ramos), Camacho (vs. Tony Baltazar) and Pernell Whitaker (vs. Juan Nazario) headline HBO’s Aug. 11 tripleheader from Lake Tahoe.

Aaron Davis, recent conqueror of Mark Breland, may be headed to an HBO date with Taylor in November. First, Davis has a non-title 10-rounder in Duluth, Minn., on Sept. 13.

Welterweight Brownout in the works for October: IBF champ Simon vs. contender Glenwood, maybe on the Douglas-Holyfield undercard.

Nothing so rare as an honest publicist. L.A. Forum’s John Beyrooty, former boxing writer for the L.A. Herald Examiner, writes this about Tyrone Jackson, headlining Monday’s card against Genaro Hernandez: “... best described as a fairly slow, chunky, squat fighter ... can be outboxed .. admittedly quit against Tony “The Tiger� Lopez ...�

Next time, John, don’t sugar-coat it.