Boxing: Lewis closer to Holyfield showdown

LENNOX LEWIS, Britain's World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, learned last night that Evander Holyfield is to continue fighting, a decision that could bring the pair together in November.

Confirmation that Holyfield, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion, is to box on in an attempt to reunify a split world title came in a telephone call between Lewis's manager, Frank Maloney, and Dan Duva, the American promoter of Lewis and Holyfield.

This means that Maloney can now press ahead with his plans to tie up a dollars 20m ( pounds 13.9m) deal with Home Box Office, the American cable network, for Lewis's next three fights, culminating in a grand final against Holyfield. 'The only reason that Holyfield is fighting on is to unify the title,' Maloney said yesterday. 'It looks as if Lewis- Holyfield will go on in November.'

Maloney, via the British Boxing Board, has appealed to the IBF - as has Holyfield - to sanction the fight after previously refusing to do so and the WBA quickly adopted the same stance.