Trainer challenges Lewis to dump sanctioners

NEW YORK (April 18, 2000 5:27 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Emanuel Steward, who trains world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, has told the British boxer he should ignore the sport's sanctioning bodies to help add credibility to boxing.

"For the betterment of boxing, Lennox Lewis is in a position where he should tell all of those organizations goodbye," Steward said Tuesday. "It's unlikely any champion is going to do that. But if there is anyone, it would be Lennox."

Lewis risks his World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles April 29 against unbeaten American Michael Grant.

The World Boxing Association title he held for 120 days was stripped in a court fight with rival promoter Don King, who seeks credibility for his boxers through a title now tainted.

Lewis said he was considering the idea of fighting in the future without regard to the WBA, WBC and IBF, saying he would take on the best of all rivals no matter which men were made mandatory challengers through boxing politics.

"I told him that's what I would do," Steward said. "It's something totally new to him. It's something he has to digest. He is accepted as the heavyweight champion of the world. He's the best of the fighters out there.

"He has not said nothing but I know he is thinking about it. I would love to see him go into the ring and say he is the heavyweight champion of the world. I'm just fed up with those situations."

Steward emphasized that boxing needs help in the wake of King's legal wranglings, an ongoing fraud trial against the IBF for taking payoffs to set up title fights and Lewis' controversial draw in New York City last year against Holyfield, a fight most observers thought Lewis won handily.

"Particularly on the heels of the first Lewis-Holyfield decision, people are losing faith in boxing, particularly the heavyweight division," Steward said. "For the betterment of boxing, (the court stripping away a title) is one of the worst things that could happen at this time.

"Lennox is in a position to say, 'I'm no longer interested in any of the organizations - I'm going to fight this next fight on my own and the sanctioning organizations can go away.' He would be a bigger man for standing on his own, for being a guy to have a big impact on the credibility of boxing.

"Everyone is trying to stay in political position or fight in court. He is fighting more than anybody out there. He is in a position to make a real statement for boxing. Whichever way he goes, I support him."

Don Turner, Grant's trainer, said the damage has already been done and people simply no longer care who is the heavyweight champion.

"No, not like they used to," Turner said. "It has been watered down by these organizations. All the weight clases have been watered down. I would just like to go back to eight weight classes myself.

"The organizations have tainted it. There should be one champion."

Not so long ago, boxing had consensus kings in Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe or Evander Holyfield.

But since then, Tyson and Bowe have been in jail and Holyfield has been through a messy divorce after fathering children out of wedlock, a far cry from his Christian values that prompted Lewis to call him a hypocrite.

"From Evander Holyfield being a hypocrite to Mike Tyson's problems and even Riddick Bowe, Lennox is the best one there," Steward said. "Lennox is in a very powerful position, maybe more powerful than he realizes. Maybe we will start a new regime of fighting the most powerful opponent possible."

STEWARD: LEWIS JUST CHAMPION

By David Field, PA Sport Boxing Correspondent

If Emanuel Steward had his way, Lennox Lewis would say goodbye to the alphabet men and just be heavyweight champion.

After beating Evander Holyfield last November, Lewis' master trainer believes his man should be universally recognised as such without any of the belts.

It took seven years to re-unify the titles with Lewis' victory over Holyfield, only for it to become split again after 146 days - by a New York judge who last week stripped the Briton of the WBA title.

"I love boxing and would love to go in the ring with the heavyweight champion of the world - not which one," said Steward on Tuesday night as the champion counted down to his defence of the WBC and IBF crowns against Michael Grant at Madison Square Garden on Saturday week.

"Lennox is still the best out there, but I'm not going to put any pressure on him."

Despite the big fight politics, it is not a decision Lewis would appear ever likely to take, even though his American cable network backers Home Box Office believe the quality of any particular fight would always outstrip the name of the title.

In Grant, Lewis will have the unusual experience of facing an opponent taller and probably heavier.

But Steward believes this is the moment when Lewis will march on and be capable of dominating the division "for the next three or four years".

He said: "I know the talent is there. The styles of Lennox and Holyfield were never going to make good fights, Evander was not aggressive enough.

"In the first fight he was content to lie back and look for Lewis' right, and in the second fight was looking for his right uppercut.

"Those fights are behind us now and I think he will go on to be the most dominant heavyweight for the next three or four years. I think he's going to do it.

"He wants to establish himself as that dominant heavyweight. I look into his eyes and I can see it.

"Unlike Lennox, Grant does not utilise his height. And Lennox is a very well preserved fighter."

Grant's trainer Don Turner insisted: "Lewis has not fought anyone who can look him in the eye, is as big and punches like him. And Grant is younger.

"Lennox has done everything asked of him, but I think Michael has the tools for the job. Once he uses 100% of what he's got, he's scary."

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