Lennox Lewis is ready to test himself against his most highly regarded challenger and has declared: "I am the man to beat."
Lewis spoke in New York as he began promoting his first title defence, the April 29 bout at Madison Square Garden against unbeaten American Michael Grant. "I'm undisputed and there's no disputing that," Lewis said on Tuesday.
"I've waited so many years to get the undisputed belt that now it's mine to keep. This will be another opportunity to show everyone that I'm the man to beat."
Grant with a record of 31 fights and no defeats, trains with the same support crew as Evander Holyfield, the fighter Lewis beat on points last November to take the unified crown.
Lewis has a 35-1 record with one draw, that a controversial result against Holyfield at Madison Square Garden 11 months ago.
Grant has bided his time against all comers among emerging young US heavyweights, vowing not to fight his idol Holyfield for the title. But now he is hoping to avenge his hero's defeat.
"I would rather fight him now, before he gets any better," Lewis said, acknowledging Grant's reputation as the next great heavyweight.
The scheduled 12-round affair will bring Lewis �4.68million, three times the take for Grant, the top-ranked World Boxing Council challenger.
Although he has proven his undisputed status in the ring, boxing politics might conspire to strip Lewis of his unified crown even if Grant fails.
The International Boxing Federation, which hesitated to recognise Lewis for days after his victory over Holyfield, has a protester in its top-ranked contender, American David Tua.
Tua has filed a lawsuit claiming he was supposed to be the first unified defence for Lewis. In all likelihood, Lewis would face Tua later this year and possibly fight Mike Tyson late this year or in early 2001.
Former world champion Tyson has talked of fighting Lewis in the next 12 months, despite the fact the convicted rapist has fought less than eight rounds since biting Holyfield's ears in a 1997 loss that led to a one-year ban from the sport.
Lewis and Tyson were to have met in 1996 but Tyson dropped a world title rather than face a mandatory defence against Lewis.
Tyson attracted a sell-out crowd and great numbers of supporters and protesters for his controversial fight last month in England, where a meeting with Lewis in a large venue could produce record income.
AFP
� PA Sporting Life