Boxing: Tua heads to court over Lewis re-match

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua is seeking a United States court ruling that will strip Hasim Rahman of the International Boxing Federation title if the American signs for a re-match against Brit Lennox Lewis.

There was speculation yesterday that the Home Box Office cable network, to which Lewis was formerly contracted, had reached agreement with him and the champion for a return bout to be staged in August.

HBO had no ranked fighters on their books after Lewis was upset in South Africa, and have apparently trumped all other cable deals put before Rahman with a desperate and over-priced bid.

As mandatory challenger for the IBF, Tua has filed a lawsuit in the New Jersey District Court that seeks to head that off at the pass. Tua has asked the court to force the organisation to follow its own rules on re-matches, which follows World Boxing Council No 1 challenger Mike Tyson's similar move.

The IBF's rule 3, section B, states: "No contract for a championship contest shall contain any clause or any provision whatsoever guaranteeing or in any way assuring or promising either contestant a return championship contest."

Rule 3, section E, states: "Upon violation of this regulation the championship involved shall forthwith be declared vacant."

Only by suing was Tua able to force Lewis into the ring for the title shot he lost in Las Vegas last November, after he had been No 1 contender for 18 months.

His manager, Kevin Barry, was disappointed they had to go down the same path.

"All we expect is continuity and consistency in terms of the rules,"he said.

"We hoped they would have cleaned their act up after the prosecutions last year."

Barry was referring to IBF president Bob Lee being thrown out after convictions for accepting bribes to fiddle the rankings.

The federation then set up the Tua-Danell Nicholson fight to determine their No 1.

Tua won by a knockout and thus earned the right to a title shot within 12 months.

The effect of a ruling in Tua and Tyson's favour would be to strip Rahman of the titles and set up a box-off within each organisation according to rankings.

Or Rahman could agree to defend, allowing Tyson first shot, then WBA titleholder John Ruiz, then Tua.

In the meantime, Tua has delayed his departure for the US and his promoters, America Presents, may put back the intended July 14 date of his next bout as they wait for the outcome of the court hearing, for which a date has yet to be set. They expect it within weeks.

Tyson has also delayed his next scheduled bout, against Nigerian David Izon, which was to take place in Washington on June 2. There is no new date for that.

Ruiz has apparently signed for a third bout with Evander Holyfield.

Promoter Don King is expected to announce any day that he has secured backing for the first heavyweight title fight in China - August 4 in Beijing has been suggested.