Withdrawal by Bray Is Found Perplexing : Boxing: Reason unclear why troubled heavyweight left Marriott promoter Broudy in the lurch.

In a sudden and surprising move, heavyweight boxer John Bray withdrew Friday from a bout next week against Nigeria’s King Ipitan.

Bray, a former national amateur heavyweight champion from Van Nuys, was scheduled to face Ipitan in a 10-round main event Wednesday at the Warner Center Marriott.

“Basically, it’s a dispute between the fighter and his managers,” said Johnny Hernandez, Bray’s trainer. “It’s both parties involved. It’s not a one-sided deal.

“Other than that, I can’t say anything.”

Nobody explained anything to promoter Peter Broudy or to Richard Allen, Ipitan’s manager, who maintained they didn’t know the reason for Bray’s actions.

Bray was unavailable for comment.

“As far as we know, he just doesn’t want to fight this guy,” said Larry Feldman, Broudy’s publicist.

Broudy, who was on his way to tonight’s Oscar De La Hoya-Rafael Ruelas championship fight in Las Vegas, was unavailable for comment, but he blasted Bray (13-2-1 with four knockouts as a pro) in a statement released by Feldman.

“What John Bray has done is the kind of thing which gives all of boxing a very bad name,” Broudy said. “He clearly breached his contract and is now facing what he deserves.”

Bray, 24, could face disciplinary sanctions from the California and Nevada boxing commissions, including a ban from fighting in either state.

Feldman said Richard De Cuir, executive officer of the California Boxing Commission, was investigating the situation.

De Cuir did not return messages Friday.

Ipitan, a young and promising boxer who is 13-1 with 11 knockouts, is now set to headline the card in a 12-round fight against Billy (The Rhino) Wright (26-2, 22 KOs) for the vacant Penta Continental belt.

But Ipitan’s manager wasn’t thrilled with Bray’s decision.

“My fighter spends time and effort to fight a specific person, only to find that the person pulls out for no particular reason,” Allen said. “It doesn’t do the sport any good for people to arbitrarily pull out of a fight. . . . I wasn’t given any reason.”

It’s not the first time Bray has been embroiled in controversy.

Or strange happenings.

Last October, Bray was arrested in Woodland Hills on suspicion of possessing a seven-pound bag of marijuana with intent to sell. He also had allegedly confessed to firing a gun in the parking lot of a nearby hotel moments earlier. Hernandez said the charges later were reduced to a misdemeanor and Bray was put on probation.

In 1991, the year he won the U.S. amateur title, Bray accidentally shot himself in the mouth with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun in a Van Nuys automotive shop owned by a friend.

The bullet ripped through the left side of his face and opened a hole larger than a silver dollar.

The following year, Bray accused USA Boxing of racism and claimed that the organization, which governs amateur boxing in this country, unfairly excluded him from competing at the Olympic team trials.

“It isn’t a subtle thing,” Bray, who is of Anglo and Hispanic heritage, told The Times in an interview that year. “It’s right there for anyone to see.

“The team is filled with resentment and racism, and I’m just sick of it. . . . I’m the only white guy on the team and all I hear all day long is ‘Hey, honky. Hey, white boy.’ ”

Even as recently as last month, Bray showed signs of what might lie ahead.

He was supposed to fight April 12 at the Marriott but was removed from the card a few days before the bout. Hernandez said Bray instead would focus on sparring with heavyweight contender Lennox Lewis at Big Bear in preparation for the Ipitan bout.