|
|
|
News
Rankings Fight Results Upcoming Fights Fighters History Womens Boxing |
Tuesday, May 8 BALTIMORE (AP) – Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman's first title defense will be a rematch with Lennox Lewis, The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday. The newspaper said Rahman, the Baltimore-area native who knocked out Lewis on April 21 in South Africa to win the WBC and IBF titles, will make the announcement Wednesday. Rahman plans to sign a $14 million deal with Home Box Office calling for a pay-per-view fight, sources close to the negotiations told The Sun. The contract would end a two-week bidding war between Home Box Office and Showtime for Rahman's services. Lewis is contractually bound to HBO, and Mike Tyson, the WBC's No. 1 contender, is with Showtime. Steve Nelson, Rahman's co-manager with Stan Hoffman, refused to confirm the deal Tuesday. But a source close to the negotiations said attorneys for Rahman, HBO and Lewis' promoters were putting the finishing touches on a deal to be announced Wednesday. "We believe that, ultimately, when we settle our deal, we will have given Hasim Rahman the best deal in boxing history," Nelson said. "We expect to make the announcement as soon as the deal is signed." Nelson did not reveal a date or site for the rematch. The newspaper said HBO's total offer is a guaranteed $17 million – $14 million for the Lewis fight and $3 million for two more bouts regardless of how Rahman (35-2, 29 knockouts) fares against Lewis. If Rahman wins, HBO would give him a six-fight deal with escalating purses from $5.5 million per fight to $7 million. Showtime, which sweetened its proposal Friday, has offered a guaranteed $16.25 million for a Tyson bout. The Showtime offer also includes a five-fight deal worth between $6 million and $10 million a fight if Rahman beats Tyson. Both HBO and Showtime's offers give Rahman the option to fight Lewis (38-2-1, 29 KOs) or Tyson (48-3, 42 KOs) on the other network if he wins his first title defense. Nelson said the threat of legal action from both Lewis and Tyson "had zero bearing on our decision." At issue in the negotiations was a rematch clause in the contract for the April 21 Rahman-Lewis fight. Pat English, a lawyer for Lewis' promoter, had threatened legal action if Rahman chose to fight Tyson first. Last Friday, Tyson filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York in an attempt to force Rahman to fight him first. With the victory over Lewis, Rahman inherited a WBC mandatory defense, which would be against Tyson. |