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October 1999
Each month we bring you a selection of articles from the current and past issues of BOXING MONTHLY. To buy the magazine, see our subscription or back issues pages, or use our world distribution map to find a news-stand copy. Why not use our Interactive Forum to express your own boxing comments and opinions!
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STRIKING THE REMATCH
An unpublished article by JACK WELSH, who sets the scene for Lewis-Holyfield II |
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AND THE WINNER IS: Don King centre-stage between the two contestants
after the sign-up for the first fight in March
- Get Big Pic Lennox
Lewis and Evander Holyfield each had a contrasting agenda in
hyping their 13 November rematch in Las Vegas, but the two world
champions were pleasantly on the same page knowing the Nevada State
Athletic Commission would be appointing the judges and referee with
absolutely no outside interference.
Lewis and Holyfield were confident there would be no reoccurrence of
last 13 March in Madison Square Garden, where one judge's questionable
scoring created a highly-disputed draw in a unification bout Lewis
appeared to have won.
Lewis, 34, the WBC heavyweight champion (34-1-1, 27 KOs) from London
if rarely seen there, declared: "Everybody saw the fight. The judging
was definitely suspect. Something was wrong but I know it can't happen
in Nevada. I could only give Holyfield one round of the 12. Lots of
people stopped me on the street, saying I won that fight. I know Evander
got the same from people telling him he lost the fight."
The 6ft 5ins, 246 pound Lewis smiled, waving both fists: "I like the
fairness of Nevada, but this time I'm certain the ending will be
different because I'm bringing my own two judges."
Holyfield, 37, the pride of Atlanta holding the WBA and IBF belts,
acknowledged his great respect for the Nevada commission, adding the
outcome will be different at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"Still, Lewis didn't win the fight in New York," said Holyfield. "It
was a draw. It won't end that way again but I did make mistakes in March
because Lennox had more than I thought he had. I thank God for this
opportunity. And I look forward to November 13. I have always overcome
my mistakes, and I always will. You learn by your mistakes, and I know
more about Lennox Lewis now.
"After I didn't get that third-round KO [which Holyfield had
predicted], I had to talk myself back into it. As the rounds passed, I
knew I wasn't going to get knocked out, I wasn't going to quit, and I
wasn't going to lose. And I didn't."
Before print and broadcast media got to one-on-one quizzing the
affable fighters, the price was enduring 90 minutes of lead promoter Don
King's pontificating with lines like: "This fight is the search for
truth. Truth is something you buy, but don't sell. This one is magic in
the making." Mmm.
With the top executives of Las Vegas's major hotel-casinos in the
audience, King turned serious in hawking tickets for "The Fight",
projected as a sellout with 18,520 seats available at the UNLV venue.
"Arthur Goldberg [Park Palace Entertainment chairman] wanted to be
sure the public can purchase tickets, something that wasn't possible for
Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad on September 18. I personally have 4,000
tickets, so you'll have to be Speedy Gonzalez to get your tickets," said
the modern Barnum with the electrified hair.
"If it hadn't been for Evander Holyfield and his stand up ways, this
fight wouldn't have never happened. If he hadn't wanted it to happen, it
wouldn't be, especially until he said: '
'Don, go get it done.' I also liked the way Panos Eliades worked to
protect the interest of the British fans in guaranteeing them 6,000
tickets."
Eliades, the enterprising Greek liquidator who promotes Lewis out of
London, confirmed the fight contracts would not have been signed if the
promotion didn't meet his ticket demands.
"Everything was contingent on those 6,000 tickets," said Eliades.
"We've already sold Lennox out. We're very happy to be in Nevada because
the commission will appoint the officials and referee without any
outside interference. Lennox wanted the rematch and I have to thank
Evander for taking the risk.
"Regarding the $2 million King owes us from the first fight, he has
already come up with half and I'll get the rest on the night of the
fight. Of course, working with Don 12 months a year is a strain that can
tear you down. Lennox has the easier job in the ring, so maybe he should
get 10% and I'll take the larger share."
Lou DiBella, HBO's senior vice-president of sports, which will bring
the pay-per-view telecast via its TVKO subsidiary, did not elaborate on
the controversial 13 March original which triggered multi-investigations
in New York.
"I must admit that was a disappointing night," DiBella said. It was
disappointing to Lennox because he was denied the accolades he believes
he's due, and it was disappointing to Evander because he had a
lacklustre night.
"It was also disappointing for the sport's fans, but this rematch will
answer their questions. On November 13 that will all change because the
Nevada commission is naming three judges and a referee. People will wake
up on 14 November and know the right thing happened."
Jim Thomas, Atlanta attorney for Holyfield, said after months of
fragile negotiations all the loose ends were finally tied in the wee
hours of 28 August at the Las Vegas Hilton.
"On behalf of Evander Holyfield and myself, we concede this fight was
very hard to put together," Thomas reflected. "However, we never lost
sight of the fact both men wanted to fight each other. I want to thank
Don King because me and Evander put a lot of pressure on him to make the
fight happen.
"Lennox distinguished himself in their first fight but Evander has
proven unbeatable in rematches. And that's the way it's been throughout
his career. The excitement about this fight is nobody outside the ring
will determine the winner. The champions will do it to make sure there's
a certain winner. And I look for a completely different result this
time."
There is no question Lewis and Holyfield, both earning $15 million
plus perks, have a growing respect for each other in a mega-million
showdown where both have much to prove.
For Lewis, the fact he doesn't have all three belts as the first
undisputed heavyweight champion in six years borders on an obsession.
"The way I see it, I want to get those two belts back because they
belong to me and Evander is just holding them," said Lewis. "I still
have a lot of things to show the people and Holyfield on November 13
which they haven't seen. It will be a great heavyweight fight and,
hopefully, there is going to be only one heavyweight champion for the
new millennium," said the WBC incumbent.
Holyfield, whose overall earnings in and out of the ring exceed $150
million, makes no excuses for not getting started against Lewis the
first time.
"After 29 years in the ring, amateur and pro, I know
exactly what I did wrong the first time," he said. "Over the years I've
fought big heavyweights who would come at me. All those big guys wanted
to take my head off. That's what I figured Lewis would do and I was
wrong. I wasn't thinking about a 12-round fight.
"This has to be an entirely different fight. No matter what Lennox
says, I can't anticipate he will run right at me. Styles always make
fights and that means I'll have to change my style. I can't lose sight
of who I am. I have to equip myself to do much more than before. All the
big guys I fought, fought me aggressively. Lennox didn't fight me
aggressively. He fought me passively and it was a confusing."
Lewis, who people sometimes forget TKO'd Riddick Bowe in the 1988
Seoul Olympics to win a gold medal, feels he'll have a bigger advantage
in the return "because I feel we got to know each other better after the
first fight".
He continued: "If Holyfield thinks he had an off night, I think
Evander's off night was Lennox Lewis - definitely. Evander can train as
hard as he wants down in Atlanta but it's not going to change anything.
I'm sure Holyfield will be more determined and aggressive this time. If
Holyfield thinks he can get inside, which he didn't do the first time,
how is he going to get pass my left jab?
"It doesn't make any difference - early or late, somebody is going to
get knocked out. If this fight hadn't finally been made, I would have
fought somebody else, but it would have been a big disappointment. Money
wasn't the issue. Getting the undisputed title is everything. If he
tries, there is no way Holyfield can outbox me."
In retrospect, Holyfield admits his prediction that he would knock
out Lewis in the third round "was totally out of character".
He revealed: "I don't remember ever naming a round I was going to
score a knock out. That's not my style but I let Lewis get under my
skin. People kept asking me about a prediction and one day I said: 'Yes,
I'll stop him in round three.' The purse money is equal in this fight
but I wanted this so bad, I would have taken less money to make it
happen.
"Maybe I began to believe it because my plan was to jump on him. When
I didn't stop Lennox in three, I really didn't have a game plan after
that. To compound the issue, I had stomach cramps. And it bothered my
legs. I couldn't quit, I just had to fight my way through it." |
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