Lennox Lewis has been left out in the cold as Don King announced his plans to unify the heavyweight titles. WBC and IBF champion Hasim Rahman will fight podgy Dane Brian Nielsen in China next August on the undercard of Evander Holyfield's third bout against WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz. King plans that the winners of the two bouts will fight each other.
Lewis filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan court on Friday in an attempt to force Rahman to fulfil a rematch clause in their contract, but it looks as if 70-year-old King has outmanoeuvred the British fighter. To make matters worse for Lewis, whoever ends up with the undisputed title is likely to fight Mike Tyson before even considering a bout against the Briton.
King has not ruled out an eventual Lewis challenge. "We have no fear of him," he said. "That means Dracula can come, that means Lennox Lewis can come. I absolutely told Lennox Lewis that he didn't need to go through any court battles. Just come in and sign and he will have the fight." King has not had a stranglehold on the heavyweight division since James Buster Douglas' epic victory over Tyson in 1990, and has concentrated mainly on the middleweight division with a unification fight between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins later this year.
Lewis would not get another crack at the title for at least three fights down the line. At 36 years old, time is running out for him. Of all the options Rahman could have taken, signing with King is the worst possible result as far as Lewis is concerned. Rahman was dismissive of both Lewis and Holyfield. "We are in the driving seat," he said. "It's over for them, they are not the champions anymore."
Filed by Greg McKevitt
