Boxing: Byrd denied bid to have Lewis stripped of title

The International Boxing Federation has rejected an appeal by its top-ranked contender, Chris Byrd, to have Lennox Lewis stripped of the heavyweight crown.

The ruling means the British champion will fight for the IBF and World Boxing Council titles when he faces Mike Tyson on June 8 in Memphis.

Byrd had argued that Lewis should forfeit the crown for taking a big-money fight against the WBC's top-rated challenger rather than face him.

The IBF's original ruling in the matter stands, which is that the winner of the June 8 bout will negotiate to fight Byrd next and that the American fighter can have a tune-up bout because of the delay.