|
|
|
News
Rankings Fight Results Upcoming Fights Fighters History Womens Boxing |
Thursday, May 10 NEW YORK – The WBC will not sanction an immediate rematch between Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis as a heavyweight championship fight. Mike Tyson has dropped a suit he filed in Manhattan on May 4 against the WBC to make it enforce its rule against immediate rematches. The WBC's decision also prevents Lewis from winning the WBC title should he fight Rahman next. The decision was the result of Tyson dropping his suit, and it was filed in a stipulation in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday. "I am grateful that the WBC is standing by their rules by not sanctioning an immediate rematch between Mr. Rahman and Mr. Lewis," Tyson said in a statement on the WBC's decision on Thursday. The WBC decision does not prevent a rematch, however, and if Rahman wins, he would still be champion. If Lewis wins, the title would be declared vacant and the two highest available contenders would fight for the championship. Tyson is ranked No. 1 by the WBC. "I think it makes it a little more appetizing," said Shelly Finkel, Tyson's adviser who is trying to arrange a Rahman-Tyson match. Reached at a hotel in Paris, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said his lawyers had urged him not to go into details because of the Tyson suit. "The only thing I can tell you is that we were sued. The WBC, we will just respect what the rules state," he said. "We will just respect what the courts of law rule." Dale F. Kinsella, an attorney for Tyson, said he spoke late Thursday afternoon to WBC attorney Gabriel I. Penagaricano, "who confirmed that Mr. Sulaiman had authorized this settlement yesterday and specifically confirmed the rule interpretation that Mr. Tyson urged upon the court." "The action has now been dismissed in federal court, based upon the settlement," Kinsella said. Rahman also won the IBF title when he knocked out Lewis in the fifth round on April 22 at South Africa. David Tua, the top-ranked IBF contender, sued that organization in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., to force it to uphold its ruling that no championship contest shall contain an agreement for a rematch and that any violation of the regulation would make the title vacant. There was a rematch clause in the Lewis-Rahman contract for the April fight. Lewis wants that contract enforced, but it is possible he could end up fighting for no title at all if there is an immediate rematch. In getting Tyson to drop his suit, the WBC "announced, and hereby reaffirms, that in the event Rahman's next bout is against Lewis and Rahman loses such bout, the WBC shall, pursuant to WBC Rule 1.23(a) declare the WBC World Heavyweight Championship Title to be vacant, and shall put into effect WBC Rule 1.24 for the purpose of filling the vacancy," according to the stipulation. That rule would set up a fight between Tyson and the next highest available contender. HBO, which has a contract with Lewis, has offered Rahman a multimillion-dollar purse and a rich multiple-fight deal for a rematch. Showtime, which has a contract ith Tyson, has offered Rahman similar conditions to fight the former undisputed heavyweight champion. Tua is promoted by America Presents, which has one fight left on a promotional deal with Tyson. |