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| March 30, 2003 | Sunday | Muharram 26, 1424 |
Lewis goes to court to keep world crown
LOS ANGELES, March 29: Britain’s Lennox Lewis has gone to court to keep his World Boxing Council heavyweight crown, claiming the sanctioners brokered a deal with Vitali Klitschko to force him to fight the Ukranian.
The lawsuit, filed here Tuesday in Superior Court, seeks an injunction to prevent the WBC from taking Lewis’ title if her does not defend against Klitschko by June 8, as the WBC demands.
Lewis called off a proposed April 12 fight against Klitschko to see if he could book a better moneymaker as an opponent or maybe retire.
Mike Tyson, whom Lewis beat last June in his most recent outing, was one possibility. Lewis said he has a contractual obligation to fight a rematch with Tyson, but likely would only if the money is right.
While regarded as the man to beat among the heavyweights since taking the undisputed crown from Evander Holyfield, Lewis has already let two belts slip away for fighting opponents for top money rather than mandatory foes.
Klitschko also figures into the World Boxing Association title scenario. He is the mandatory next foe for American Roy Jones if he keeps the historic heavyweight crown he won from John Ruiz earlier this month.
Should Jones pick another foe or return to the light-heavyweight ranks, Klitschko would be in line to fight for a vacated WBA title.
Jones has had talks with Klitschko’s camp but is also in negotiations to face ex-champion Evander Holyfield, a foe more suited to his smaller size. —AFP
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