Boxing: Klitschko to feature on Lewis bill

Vitali Klitschko will finally share the same ring with Lennox Lewis when they both appear at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on 21 June.

Klitschko has replaced Mike Tyson as the chief supporting contest when Lewis defends his International Boxing Organisation heavyweight title against Canada's Kirk Johnson.

Last year it was reported that Klitschko would fight Lewis in April but in January the Briton decided he would rather fight Tyson again and receive a purse of over $25m (£16.5m).

However, Tyson then withdrew from the Lewis fight and another opponent was found for him so that he could still fight on the Lewis bill. However, Klitschko decided to sue the World Boxing Council and push for a fight against Lewis. Ten days ago the WBC refused to sanction the Lewis-Johnson fight and yesterday Klitschko was added to the bill. "I figured that if I couldn't fight Lewis then it was the next best thing to fight on the same night and somehow push him into giving me a chance to beat him,'' said Klitschko, who has lost once in 33 fights.

Neither Lewis' management team or the men in charge of Klitschko will say if the fighter's late addition to the bill is part of a behind-the-scenes settlement with the WBC.