WBC won't sanction Lewis-Johnson!

April 24, 2003

The World Boxing Council has confirmed that it will not sanction as a championship bout the June 21 fight between Lennox Lewis and Kirk Johnson. The WBC statement came a day before the scheduled press conference at The Staples Center to announce the Lewis-Johnson fight.

Ron DiNicola, the attorney representing Vitali Klitschko, the No. 1 contender for the WBC heavyweight title, said the decision means that the WBC is honoring a key point of an agreement it reached to settle litigation filed by Klitschko.

The top-rated contender since June 2002, Klitschko filed a lawsuit against the WBC in federal court in Nevada in March, seeking to compel it to arrange a title bout between him and Lewis.

Following the filing of the lawsuit the WBC announced that Klitschko was the official challenger, and in a ruling made public on April 2, 2003, said that Lewis must face him.

The WBC also stated that the fighters must begin free negotiations by July 1, 2003, and that if the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the WBC will order a purse offer 15 days later. �Vitali Klitschko will continue to press for the earliest possible date for a championship bout with Lewis,� DiNicola said.

A native of Ukraine, Klitschko is also the No. 1 contender in the World Boxing Association, and has a 32-1 record with 31 knockouts.

World Boxing Council rules require all champions recognized by the WBC, including Lewis, to make at least one yearly mandatory defense against the designated official challenger, in this case Klitschko.