Thursday, July 03, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lewis leaning toward Klitschko

Heavyweight champ prefers rematch over bout against Jones Jr.

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

"Jones would be easier because he's lighter. That's the only thing. ... He's faster than a locomotive, and he will fly higher than a plane. He can leap tall buildings." LENNOX LEWIS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, IN DESCRIBING ROY JONES JR., AKA "SUPERMAN" A bloodied Vitali Klitschko, left, leans back as Lennox Lewis comes at him during the second round of their heavyweight championship fight June 21 in Los Angeles. Photo by Associated Press

They never have met in the ring, but heavyweight contender Vitali Klitschko picked up a victory on Roy Jones Jr. on Wednesday when champion Lennox Lewis indicated a preference for a rematch with Klitschko before a fight with Jones.

Lewis scored a sixth-round technical knockout of Klitschko in a controversial June 21 fight in Los Angeles. The fight was stopped after the sixth round because of a large gash over Klitschko's left eye that required 60 stitches to close, though Klitschko was leading on all three scorecards.

Lewis said during a conference call Wednesday that he is interested in fights with both men, but that he leans toward a Klitschko fight Dec. 6 if an independent doctor determines that Klitschko's eye will heal in time.

Lewis said he has spoken with Jones and the two have loosely discussed terms, but Lewis said his representatives have begun negotiations with Klitschko for the lucrative pay-per-view rematch.

"I'm opting for the rematch," Lewis said. "I enjoyed that fight. It was a fight. We went at it. You have to play dollars and cents into it, but I'm opting more for the rematch."

If Lewis signs for a rematch with Klitschko, it would leave Jones without a big-name heavyweight opponent for the fall. Jones, a longtime undisputed light heavyweight champion, won a version of the heavyweight championship March 1 with a unanimous decision over John Ruiz at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Jones had been negotiating to make the first defense of his title against Evander Holyfield, but Holyfield has signed to face cruiserweight champion James Toney on Oct. 4 at Mandalay Bay. Mike Tyson would represent the only other potential big-money fight for the fall for Jones, but the mercurial Tyson hasn't indicated whether he will fight again.

Lewis knows he would have an upper hand on Jones at the negotiating table, simply because of the lack of opponents for Jones.

"That happens in business," Lewis said. "I haven't found that he's a hard guy to negotiate with, but his options are not that wide open right now."

Lewis dismissed criticisms of his performance against Klitschko by saying he feels he was on his way to a clean knockout in the next few rounds. Lewis also alleged biased judging and said he thought he won the last four rounds after conceding Klitschko won the first two.

But Lewis said Klitschko's size and strength make him a more difficult opponent than the speedy but comparatively undersized Jones, who could give away 50 pounds in a fight with Lewis.

"Jones would be easier because he's lighter," Lewis said. "That's the only thing. Superman (Jones' nickname), he's faster than a locomotive and he will fly higher than a plane. He can leap tall buildings. Roy Jones has great speed, and I have to be able to see him to catch him.

"But you can run, but you can't hide. This is what they say, and it's true."