Toney, Tapia fire trainers despite success

Success doesn't necessarily keep fighters with specific trainers, as a pair of incidents in the past week underscored.

James Toney, supposedly rejuvenated by his association with new trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, walked away from Mustafa and terminated their relationship without saying a word. Toney was 8-0 with Mustafa in his corner.

And Johnny Tapia, who looked strong in his last outing June 7 at Caesars Palace, has split from another local trainer, Miguel Diaz, after a single fight.

Toney (175 pounds) and Tapia (115) are world-champion fighters. Toney, who recently moved to Las Vegas, has exchanged Mustafa for Freddie Roach, who will be his third trainer in less than a year (Mustafa having replaced Bill Miller). Tapia, of Albuquerque, has not announced a replacement for Diaz.

"I guess I wasn't good enough, but I don't have any regrets," Diaz said. "This is the fighting business and things like this happen. I like Tapia and he's a hard worker, but I can't be with him all the time and he wanted someone who could."

Proximity to the fighter wasn't the downfall of Mustafa's relationship with Toney, as the two spent endless hours together. Just last month in this space Mustafa indicated he was pleased with Toney's progress and felt his man might handle Roy Jones if they were to be rematched, as rumored.

"There are two sides to every story, so I have to give James the benefit of doubt," Mustafa said. "But it appears to me James Toney doesn't need Eddie Mustafa or any other trainer. He needs God in his life."

That may have been Mustafa's way of saying Toney needs to become more conscientious in his dealings with people.

"We won eight in a row and everything was going great," Mustafa said. "But James is being pulled by too many people in too many directions. He has too many outside influences.

"I know I did the best I could with James and he can be a great guy, but he needs help. He needs direction in his life."

Toney used a messenger to inform Mustafa he was dismissed.

"We haven't spoken yet," Mustafa said. "We didn't have a falling out and there's no hard feelings on my part, so maybe one day he'll call me. I can't understand why he handled this the way he did."

Toney, 52-2-2, is scheduled to face Duran Williams, 16-1-1, Aug. 9 on an ESPN-televised card from Bay St. Louis, Miss. Tapia, 36-0-2, goes in against Hugo Soto, 43-2-2, Aug. 17 on an ABC-televised card still lacking a site.

Around the ring

* KIWANUKA'S CHANCE: National exposure and a shot at an even bigger fight are at stake as local super middleweight Joseph Kiwanuka takes on Rodney Toney Tuesday at Philadelphia's Blue Horizon on a card to be televised by the USA cable network. Kiwanuka, 20-1-2 with 15 knockouts, is still looking to rebound from a disheartening loss to Thomas Tate late last year. "That fight seemed like it destroyed us," said Kiwanuka's manager, John Phillips. "It certainly set us back. But Joseph has put it behind him now and there are a lot of big things ahead if he wins this fight." For example, a Kiwanuka victory over Toney could lead to a bout with the winner of the Aug. 23 fight in Atlantic City between Vinny Pazienza and Dana Rosenblatt. "But I'm looking forward to this one before thinking of the next one," Kiwanuka said. "Toney's a strong fighter, but so am I. I think as long as I feel strong, there won't be a problem." Toney, 22-2-4, is far from a pushover, though. "We took this fight because Joseph has to prove himself," Phillips said. "You can't keep fighting third-rate guys and knocking them out. We've got to see if he's ready for the big time and this fight will tell us." Kiwanuka, 25, leaves Saturday for Philadelphia, where his fight will be the primary undercard bout on a show that headlines the USBA junior lightweight title fight between champion John Brown, 15-2, and veteran challenger Harold Warren, 33-9.

* McCULLOUGH'S PLANS: Just back from Denver and a decision win over a late substitute who proved tougher than expected, Wayne McCullough is ready to jump back in the gym and prepare for two more 1996 fights. "I've got to wait about two weeks because I have a splint on the baby finger of my left hand," he said this week after returning to Las Vegas. "I hurt a tendon in there. But that shouldn't be a problem and I'll fight again in early September." McCullough, who was the WBC bantamweight champion until relinquishing that title to move up in weight to 122, still has ex-champ Duke McKenzie on his agenda. It was McKenzie who was to have met McCullough July 13 in Denver, but visa troubles kept the Englishman from reaching Colorado. Now that fight may be rescheduled for September, although McCullough has some animosity toward McKenzie. "He's on his way out and I'll knock him out," McCullough said. "He's going through a divorce and he said he was trying to take care of that when he had the visa problems. I really don't think he should get another chance, but I guess he's going to be offered the fight." Assuming McCullough wins, his bout with WBC super bantamweight champ Daniel Zaragoza will follow later this year. McCullough upped his record to 20-0 in Denver by taking a decision over Julio Cesar Cardona, who was the late replacement for McKenzie.

* BERGMAN CONFIDENT: Local junior welterweight Jan Bergman said he has what it takes to upset reigning IBF champ Kostya Tszyu when they fight Sept. 13 in Australia. "I like being the underdog, it makes me feel better," said Bergman, who is 32-0 and ranked No. 1 by the IBF. "I think Tszyu knows not to take me light, but he probably thinks he's strong enough to beat me. But I think I can match his strength and I know I can move better than he does. I don't see him in any way beating me. I respect him, but I know I can win." Tszyu is 18-0 and, despite managerial troubles of late, is regarded as one of the leading fighters in the world. Bergman is a native of South Africa who has been living in Las Vegas the last two years.

* McCLAIN READY: "I've got to make a run at it," local cruiserweight John McClain said of giving one last prolonged effort at becoming a world champion. Closing in on his 29th birthday, McClain is 20-5-2 and ranked as high as No. 7 by the WBA. But a couple of unfortunate losses, as well as rotator cuff surgery last October, set back his career. Now, however, he has added Akbar Muhammad as manager and is hoping for a world-title fight before he's through. "I've got good people behind me, people who are in a position to help," McClain said. "My shoulder was killing me for a long time and now that's fixed. Everything's coming around."

* QUICK HITS: Despite being whisked to the hospital Monday night after his knockout loss at the hands of Hector Quiroz in Los Angeles, former Las Vegas junior welterweight Marlon Thomas was OK by Wednesday. Thomas, 13-4-1, was stopped by the impressive-looking Quiroz, 22-1 with 20 KOs, in the second round at the Forum. ... Local welterweight Skipper Kelp has taken a Sept. 17 fight with USBA champ Tony Martin in Connecticut. Kelp is 23-3 and coming off a dramatic win over fellow contender Adrian Stone in May. ... Mike Tyson is at the Farmington, Conn., home of co-manager Rory Holloway and trained earlier this week at a gym in Hartford as he begins preparing again for WBA champ Bruce Seldon, Sept. 7 at the MGM. ... Caesars Palace has added bouts featuring NABF super bantamweight champ Erik Morales and former junior middleweight champ Mark Breland to its Oct. 12 card that headlines Oscar De La Hoya vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez. No opponents yet for Morales, 23-0, or Breland, 33-3-1. ... Promoter Alex Fried said he is "99-percent sure" he has IBF junior flyweight champ Michael Carbajal in his Sept. 21 main event at Harrah's in Laughlin. Bouts with ex-champs Louie Espinoza and Roger Mayweather are also on the drawing board.

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