Let’s get it on (again)

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1999 | 10:05 a.m.

It has been six years since boxing had a unified heavyweight champion.

During that unenviable stretch, the sport has seen its heavyweight championship split in several directions. But on Nov. 13 at the Thomas & Mack Center, boxing's three major titles will be united as either Evander Holyfield or Lennox Lewis emerges as the undisputed champion.

Meeting in a sequel of a March 13 fight in New York that was somehow scored a draw, Holyfield (the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion) and Lewis (the World Boxing Council champion) will battle for what may very well be sport's ultimate prize.

The rematch came together after months of deliberations and a passel of side issues were finally resolved.

The participants, flanked by dozens of casino executives, appeared at the Las Vegas Hilton on Tuesday to formally announce a fight that will bring each of them $15 million and will give one of them the most prestigious championship in the world.

Lewis is a minus 200 betting favorite at the Hilton.

Holyfield is a plus 160.

"Hopefully there will be only one champion for the new millennium," Lewis said. "I'm glad this fight was made because there are a lot of things I haven't yet showed the public.

"Plus I've had a lot of people stop me on the street and say 'You won that (March 13) fight' and I know Evander has probably had a lot of people stop him and say 'You lost that fight.' This will resolve it."

Controversy engulfed that New York City fight when the scoring defied the common perception that Lewis had won, perhaps even handily. This time, however, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will select the judges and a fairer result is expected.

"Lennox proved in the first fight he had more than what I thought he had," Holyfield admitted. "But I'm a person who will always overcome his mistakes."

Holyfield, 36, is 36-3-1 with 25 knockouts and has come back from more than one seemingly devastating loss. He has an exemplary record in rematches, having avenged defeats to Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer.

But this time he's up against a man who is 2 1/2 inches taller and some 30 pounds heavier, albeit one who remains unproven in the public's eye. The 6-foot-5 and 245-pound Lewis -- who will mark his 34th birthday Thursday -- is 34-1-1 with 27 KOs.

"Evander has demonstrated throughout his career that he is unbeatable in rematches," said Holyfield's manager, Jim Thomas. "Lennox distinguished himself in their first fight, but I look for a completely different result this time."

Assuming the fight does not end in a draw, the winner will be the first unified heavyweight champion since Bowe defeated Holyfield Nov. 13, 1992, in Las Vegas. Bowe later relinquished the WBC portion of his championships and lost the WBA and IBF belts to Holyfield in a Nov. 6, 1993, rematch in Las Vegas.

Lewis gained the WBC championship by defeating Tony Tucker with the vacant title at stake on May 8, 1993, in Las Vegas. He later lost it to Oliver McCall but regained it in a rematch.

"March 13 was a disappointing night," said Lou DiBella, whose HBO cable network will handle the pay-per-view telecast through its TVKO extension. "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 lackluster night.

"It was also disappointing for the sport's fans, but this rematch should answer their outstanding questions."

Lewis, of England, will train in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, while Holyfield, of Atlanta, will train in Houston.

The rematch was finalized late last Friday night when each fighter's promoter made an important concession to the other.

Panos Eliades, who handles Lewis, told the Sun in an exclusive story July 20 that he would not agree to a rematch until Don King, who handles Holyfield, paid off a $2 million debt from the March 13 fight. Eliades also said he was concerned about the ramifications in the event King is indicted by the federal government on racketeering charges, as is currently being investigated.

"King has given me half the money and I'll get the other half the night of the next fight," Eliades said Tuesday. "I'm happy with that."

As for his role in the event King is indicted, Eliades said it would not change. "If Don is indicted, he'll remain the lead promoter," Eliades said.

Eliades, who had it written into the rematch contract that he would have the right to sell 6,000 tickets to Lewis' fans in Great Britain, indirectly credited the Sun for pushing the rematch into place.

"That article you wrote was the catalyst," he said of the July 20 exclusive. "By me saying the rematch wouldn't happen and by King reading it, it forced him to deal with reality. He said 'f--' and then got the deal done."