Trial Underway in Promoters’ Lawsuit Against Larry Holmes : Courts: They claim the former world heavyweight champion breached a contract with them for four fights as part of a comeback campaign.

Trial began Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by Orange County fight promoters against Larry Holmes alleging that the former heavyweight champion breached his contract by refusing to complete a four-fight deal.

Holmes fought a single fight, which he won handily, and allegedly refused to participate in any additional fights through promoters Jason Schlessinger and Bob Rey. The severing of the relationship between Holmes and the promoters has led to lawsuits by each side--and a bankruptcy filing by the promoters’ company, LBA Associates Inc. of Newport Beach.

LBA has petitioned for a Chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Ana, listing its promotional contract with Holmes as its chief asset, with a value of $24.7 million. The company lists liabilities of $506,000, mostly loans the company owes principals Schlessinger and Paul Konapelsky.

The promotion deal began when Rey met Holmes at a celebrity roast in 1990 at an Ontario hotel and interested him in making a comeback. Holmes, WBC champion from 1978 to 1984, signed a contract for four fights, said Frank J. Lizarraga Jr., a lawyer for the promoters.

Holmes fought Tim (Doc) Anderson in April, 1991. But Lizarraga said Holmes then reneged on a deal for a second fight, and later filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania against the promoters and LBA seeking to end the relationship.

Earlier this week, a Pennsylvania state judge found against the promoters and negated their deal with Holmes. But a motion by Holmes’ lawyers to overturn the promoters’ case against their client in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles was rejected. The Los Angeles case began Wednesday, with jury selection scheduled for Friday.

A spokeswoman for Holmes’ office in Easton, Pa., had no comment on the case.