LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Billy 'Dynamite' Douglas thinks father-son combinations do work in boxing, although he was a long-distance spectator when James 'Buster' Douglas became heavyweight champion.
Billy Douglas was a rugged middleweight and light heavyweight from 1967-80. It was his gym in Columbus, Ohio, where James Douglas began boxing at the age of 10, beginning an often-rocky 19-year journey that climaxed in a 10th-round knockout of Mike Tyson last Feb. 11 in Tokyo.
'I pushed him harder because of the father thing,' Billy Douglas said while watching his son train to defend his title next Thursday against Evander Holyfield. 'This is proof it works.
'He's there, and he got there from being around me. He learned early. I had him fight tough fights early. It took nine years (as a pro) to get to the mountaintop, but he got there.'
Boxing people are wary of fathers training or managing their sons because they often are too emotionally involved to make proper decisions. That seemed the case with Douglas.
Although Billy Douglas trained and managed his son when he turned pro, he gave up the managing duties after an embarrassing knockout loss to Mike White in his 21st fight. Douglas continued to train his son until he was stopped by Tony Tucker in his first title bout in 1987.
Billy thought his son did not fight hard enough, while others in camp thought the father did a poor job of training him.
'The falling out just made me more determined I could do it my way,' the champion said.
Buster Douglas is 7-0 since Billy Douglas stopped attending his fights. He will be at the Holyfield fight, however, at the request of his son.
'I wanted to share it with him,' Buster Douglas said of the invitation he extended to his father a month ago. 'I was fortunate to go throough several of his fights with him and I wanted to share this with him.
'It's just a father-son relationship.'
Billy Douglas, who fought the likes of Victor Galindez, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Bennie Briscoe and Willie 'The Worm' Monroe in compiling of 15-13-1 record, never stopped offering his son boxing advice. The two talked several times by telephone while Buster was in Tokyo preparing to fight Tyson.
Now Billy Douglas is careful to stay out of the way of trainers John Russell and J.D. McCauley at gym workouts, but gives hand signals from outside the ropes and discusses sparring sessions with his son afterward. One day, Billy Douglas entered the ring to tutor his son.
He will not work the corner Thursday night.
'I'm just here as an adviser, enjoying myself,' Billy Douglas said. 'I'm here because James wanted me here. He's showing me things I wanted to see from him.'
McCauley said he does not consider the champion's father an intrusion.
'Buster invited him out here as an overseer,' McCauley said. 'Billy Douglas taught me how to fight and Billy Douglas taught Buster how to fight. He's just looking.
'Buster and his dad are trying to make a go of it.'
Perhaps the biggest strain on their relationship came after Douglas became champion and took on promoter Don King in court.
King visited the champion's father several times in Columbus and called one of his close friends to testify on his behalf. Billy Douglas was on the possible list of King witnesses, but was never called in court.
After the case was settled out of court, enabling King to retain promotional rights after the Holyfield bout, Billy Douglas attended the promoter's party.
Buster Douglas appeared upset by his father's allegiance to King, but now says he understands why his father played along with King.
'My dad, he came close but he was always denied (as a boxer),' Buster Douglas said. 'But the big guys came calling (after Tokyo). He told my little brother, 'Sit back and suck it up. The only reason they're calling is because of your brother.''
Billy Douglas agreed that was his motive.
'If Buster hadn't been champion, Don King never would've come to town,' he said. 'Me and Buster just sat back and talked about it.
'I got a lot of free trips to New York to see what was going on.'
