Friday, April 25, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lewis defends opponent

Heavyweight champ says Johnson better choice than Byrd

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis says the linear title will be at stake against Kirk Johnson on June 21 in Los Angeles. AP Photo

Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has long insisted he only wants to fight the top contenders, but on Thursday he found himself defending his choice of Kirk Johnson as his next opponent.

Lewis will fight Johnson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 21 in a card that might include a Mike Tyson-Oleg Maskaev bout.

Johnson was disqualified for low blows in a title fight last year against then-WBA champion John Ruiz at Mandalay Bay and has not been considered a top fighter since. But Lewis, who gave up one of his belts rather than fight highly rated Chris Byrd, insisted Johnson is a tougher choice for him.

"He's been around a long time, and he had a great knockout vs. Lou Savarese," said Lewis, trying to find something Johnson had done to warrant a title shot. "He's well deserving of a shot. He's very dangerous. It's about time he gets to box the heavyweight champion of the world."

Byrd, a Las Vegas resident, won the IBF belt that Lewis gave up when he scored a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield in December. Byrd laughed at Lewis trainer Emanuel Steward's contention that he doesn't do well against fighters as large as Lewis. Byrd began his career as a super middleweight and weighs about 35 to 40 pounds less than Lewis.

Byrd was irritated that Lewis degraded his title and called him a coward.

"Emanuel knows better," Byrd said. "But I'm getting tired of all the excuses coming from Lennox. It's one excuse after another. Lennox is a coward. He picks Kirk Johnson, who lost to John Ruiz, who lost to Roy Jones. What did Kirk do to get the fight? He gets disqualified against Ruiz, then he knocks out a guy who had been retired and isn't really well known, and that's enough for Lennox to say he deserves a shot?"

Lewis, who hasn't fought since he stopped Tyson on June 8 in Memphis, Tenn., said Johnson comes to fight and will make for an exciting match. Lewis said Byrd's elusive style is not popular with the public, which might be asked to pay as much as $2,000 for a ringside seat.

"Kirk Johnson is a more exciting fighter than Chris Byrd," Lewis said. "A lot of people agree with me when it comes to that. He's a knockout puncher. People want to see big power punches. They don't want to see no one pecking in there. They want to see punches; they want to see action. They want to see the sweat coming from your face when you get hit."

Lewis' WBC title won't be at stake against Johnson because the WBC is mandating Lewis face its top contender, Vitali Klitschko. But Lewis said the sanctioning body title means little and that the linear title will be at stake against Johnson.

"The linear title is the greatest title out there," Lewis said. "You know that's the man who beat the man who beat the man. That's why I'm the best. All the other heavyweights who say they're champions, they're only paper champions."

Promoter Gary Shaw said he's still trying to finalize a deal to put Tyson on the card. Shaw said he's "cautiously optimistic" a deal will be reached.

Tyson on Thursday was in New York, where he may have been attempting to settle his $100 million federal lawsuit with promoter Don King.

Tyson has alleged King shorted him millions in purse money. King has been publicly courting Tyson for several years, but Tyson has said he never will have a relationship with King again.

Neither King nor Tyson could be reached for comment.