Dan Duva

Dan Duva said yesterday he would "call the bluff" of rival promoter Rock Newman and step aside to allow Lennox Lewis to accept a $12 million offer to fight heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe at Caesars Palace on Nov. 5.But Kathy Duva, Dan Duva's wife and spokeswoman for Main Events Inc., suggested Newman had made a "bogus offer," because Bowe already was committed to a rematch with Evander Holyfield on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas.Duva, who serves as a promoter for Lewis, said Newman should make the offer directly to the World Boxing Council champion, who returned to England after his unimpressive 12-round victory over Tony Tucker in Las Vegas last Saturday.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Promoter Don King once cracked that World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis could walk through Times Square in rush hour and remain invisible.But the unbeaten Briton looked like a tower of strength last night in destroying Phil Jackson, of Miami, at 1:35 of the eighth round at Convention Hall.Lewis (25-0, 21 KOs) said fighting a 10-1 underdog like Jackson was a no-win proposition. But after looking less than impressive in his first two title defenses, against Tony Tucker and British rival Frank Bruno, Lewis improved his reputation in this overwhelming performance.

WASHINGTON -- The possibility of a Riddick Bowe-Lennox Lewis heavyweight showdown was rekindled yesterday when Bowe's manager, Rock Newman, offered Lewis $12 million for a championship match at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Nov. 5.Newman made his latest pitch in a letter to Lewis' promoter, Dan Duva, of Main Events, Inc., who also has promotional ties to Bowe, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion. Copies were sent to Frank Maloney, who manages Lewis, the English-born heavyweight recognized as the World Boxing Council champion, and to Lewis.

LAS VEGAS -- Before Evander Holyfield lost his heavyweight crown to Riddick Bowe two years ago, the champion and his entourage were depicted as a model family with all the virtues of Bill Cosby's Huxtables.But since regaining his title from Bowe in a memorable 12-round fight last November, Team Holyfield has become Team Turmoil. And the fighter nicknamed "The Real Deal" is now being portrayed as "The Raw Deal" by the people cut loose from his purse strings.On the eve of his championship defense against unbeaten Michael Moorer, there is growing concern that all the changes in Holyfield's corner could lead to his downfall.

Promoter Don King, wanting to avoid purse bids and being labeled the scapegoat in the stalled negotiations for an Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship fight, said last week that he was willing to give Holyfield, the champion, a $5 million edge in the division of purses.King estimated that would give Holyfield $25 million and Tyson $20 million from the bout."I'm willing to sit down today with his managers, Dan Duva and Shelly Finkel, with or without Holyfield present, to get thisthing settled," King said from his New York office.

After an all-day meeting in New York between promoters Dan Duva and Don King reached an impasse over a new date for the postponed Nov. 8 Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson title fight in Las Vegas, Tyson was told to wait his turn for a chance to regain his crown from undisputed champion Evander Holyfield.Duva said Holyfield will defend his title against a yet-unnamed opponent on an unspecified date at a site to be determined. However, Duva did say the bout, to be announced in a few days, would be on Home Box Office rather than pay-per-view.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- "The Battle of the Ages" -- the theme for Evander Holyfield's title defense against former heavyweight champion George Foreman Friday night -- now bears a subtitle on the T-shirts worn by Holyfield's supporting cast.The message reads, "War For Respect.""Yeah, respect, that's what this is all about," said Lou Duva, Holyfield's head trainer and self-appointed spokesman.At 28, Holyfield is recognized as champion by professional boxing's three major organizations, but there is still an army of detractors who consider him fortunate that his road to the heavyweight title did not lead through Mike Tyson.

NEW YORK -- The word spread last week all the way down to Mississippi that Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe had spread -- around the tummy.Some cynics in a tiny Gulf Coast watering hole even suggested (( Bowe drop "Daddy" from his nickname and just call himself "Big."So it was fitting that the heavyweight champion -- on advice from his attorney, the honorable Milton Chwasky -- come to the down-home cookin' capital, Sylvia's on 126th and Lenox Avenue, yesterday to officially announce his Nov. 6 title rematch against Evander Holyfield at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Major fight promoters were wasting no time in realigning the heavyweight division after their main attraction, former champion Mike Tyson, was convicted in Indianapolis late Monday night of raping a teen-age beauty pageant contestant.The promoters were insisting that there is life in boxing after Tyson, who once fascinated fight fans with his devastating power and menacing style."This verdict means absolutely nothing to boxing," said promoter Bob Arum, rival to Don King, who promoted Tyson's major fights the past few years.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Many boxing critics mock his World Boxing Organization heavyweight title belt, but Ray Mercer again proved he had the heart of a champion by taking Tommy Morrison's best shots for three rounds before scoring a stunning knockout at 28 seconds of the fifth round at the Convention Hall last night.Mercer, 30, appeared in danger of being knocked out himself as the previously unbeaten Morrison scored repeatedly with his patented left hook.The 1988 Olympic gold medalist began his comeback in the fourth and finished Morrison in the fifth with a relentless attack.

NEW YORK -- The word spread last week all the way down to Mississippi that Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe had spread -- around the tummy.Some cynics in a tiny Gulf Coast watering hole even suggested (( Bowe drop "Daddy" from his nickname and just call himself "Big."So it was fitting that the heavyweight champion -- on advice from his attorney, the honorable Milton Chwasky -- come to the down-home cookin' capital, Sylvia's on 126th and Lenox Avenue, yesterday to officially announce his Nov. 6 title rematch against Evander Holyfield at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Dan Duva said yesterday he would "call the bluff" of rival promoter Rock Newman and step aside to allow Lennox Lewis to accept a $12 million offer to fight heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe at Caesars Palace on Nov. 5.But Kathy Duva, Dan Duva's wife and spokeswoman for Main Events Inc., suggested Newman had made a "bogus offer," because Bowe already was committed to a rematch with Evander Holyfield on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas.Duva, who serves as a promoter for Lewis, said Newman should make the offer directly to the World Boxing Council champion, who returned to England after his unimpressive 12-round victory over Tony Tucker in Las Vegas last Saturday.

WASHINGTON -- The possibility of a Riddick Bowe-Lennox Lewis heavyweight showdown was rekindled yesterday when Bowe's manager, Rock Newman, offered Lewis $12 million for a championship match at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Nov. 5.Newman made his latest pitch in a letter to Lewis' promoter, Dan Duva, of Main Events, Inc., who also has promotional ties to Bowe, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion. Copies were sent to Frank Maloney, who manages Lewis, the English-born heavyweight recognized as the World Boxing Council champion, and to Lewis.

Major fight promoters were wasting no time in realigning the heavyweight division after their main attraction, former champion Mike Tyson, was convicted in Indianapolis late Monday night of raping a teen-age beauty pageant contestant.The promoters were insisting that there is life in boxing after Tyson, who once fascinated fight fans with his devastating power and menacing style."This verdict means absolutely nothing to boxing," said promoter Bob Arum, rival to Don King, who promoted Tyson's major fights the past few years.

You never hear about the people with the slide rules and computers and buttoned-down minds who even now are hard at work on creating the NHL schedule for 1994-95.A will play B, C will play D, then everyone from A to W gets in the playoffs.Boxing is a bit more sophistica ted. The fans want Fighter A to confront Fighter B. He probably doesn't want to because he doesn't think he's good enough, but that's where the money is, so OK, but only if the pay-per-view does not conflict with a Madonna concert and the Las Vegas casinos aren't crowded with a convention of rubber duck salesmen.

After an all-day meeting in New York between promoters Dan Duva and Don King reached an impasse over a new date for the postponed Nov. 8 Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson title fight in Las Vegas, Tyson was told to wait his turn for a chance to regain his crown from undisputed champion Evander Holyfield.Duva said Holyfield will defend his title against a yet-unnamed opponent on an unspecified date at a site to be determined. However, Duva did say the bout, to be announced in a few days, would be on Home Box Office rather than pay-per-view.

George Foreman is in the middle of a tug-of-war between the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and the No. 1 contender for the right to beat up the 43-year-old country preacher this fall. And it appears the contender is winning.Don King, representing former champion Mike Tyson, has encamped himself in the Houston Marriott frantically trying to close a deal that would match Foreman and Tyson Nov. 1, with Foreman getting from $17 million to $20 million for something King has dubbed "The People's Heavyweight Championship."

You never hear about the people with the slide rules and computers and buttoned-down minds who even now are hard at work on creating the NHL schedule for 1994-95.A will play B, C will play D, then everyone from A to W gets in the playoffs.Boxing is a bit more sophistica ted. The fans want Fighter A to confront Fighter B. He probably doesn't want to because he doesn't think he's good enough, but that's where the money is, so OK, but only if the pay-per-view does not conflict with a Madonna concert and the Las Vegas casinos aren't crowded with a convention of rubber duck salesmen.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Many boxing critics mock his World Boxing Organization heavyweight title belt, but Ray Mercer again proved he had the heart of a champion by taking Tommy Morrison's best shots for three rounds before scoring a stunning knockout at 28 seconds of the fifth round at the Convention Hall last night.Mercer, 30, appeared in danger of being knocked out himself as the previously unbeaten Morrison scored repeatedly with his patented left hook.The 1988 Olympic gold medalist began his comeback in the fourth and finished Morrison in the fifth with a relentless attack.

George Foreman is in the middle of a tug-of-war between the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and the No. 1 contender for the right to beat up the 43-year-old country preacher this fall. And it appears the contender is winning.Don King, representing former champion Mike Tyson, has encamped himself in the Houston Marriott frantically trying to close a deal that would match Foreman and Tyson Nov. 1, with Foreman getting from $17 million to $20 million for something King has dubbed "The People's Heavyweight Championship."