Bowe eager to fight Lewis in South Africa

Boxing

Riddick Bowe, the former undisputed world heavyweight champion, wants to fight Britain's Lennox Lewis in South Africa in March, his representative said yesterday.

Alexis Denny, Bowe's international representative, told a news conference: "Riddick has wanted to fight in South Africa ever since he came here in 1993 and met President Mandela."

The planned fight is one part of a three-pronged effort by Bowe to help boxing in South Africa. Bowe's manager, Rock Newman, has invited the South African welterweight champion, Mpush Makhambi, to appear on the undercard of Bowe's next fight, his third meeting with Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas on 4 November.

Newman has also invited several black promoters from East London and Johannesburg to begin the process of forming an alliance which will enable them to go to the United States. to work on a major promotion.