Boxing: Call the fight off - Lewis’ ex-manager

Frank Maloney, the manager discarded by Lennox Lewis, today called on world boxing authorities to have the courage to ban the proposed showdown between the world heavyweight champion and former undisputed king Mike Tyson.

But, despite the disgusting scenes when the fighters came face to face at a press conference in New York, he does not believe they will.

‘‘I think the fight will go ahead because in America the dollar is god,’’ said Maloney.

‘‘There is too much money involved, too many TV companies, businesses and people have an interest and everyone wants their percentage.’’

The sporting world may have been stunned by the out-of-control scenes broadcast around the globe but the incredible bust-up was no shock to Maloney.

‘‘I wasn’t surprised. It was something that was waiting to happen. Tyson’s very unstable and the people around Lewis don’t know what they are doing,’’ said Maloney, who was involved in all Lewis’ world title fights before being dismissed ahead of the revenge victory over Hasim Rahman last year.

He also saw Tyson’s mood swings first hand as manager of Julius Francis, the former British champion stopped in two rounds by ‘Iron Mike’ in February 2000, and associate of Frank Warren, who also promoted Tyson’s controversial Glasgow fight with Lou Savarese that year.

Tyson, who had a fall-out with Warren in the build-up to the Glasgow fight, was fined £125,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control for knocking over referee John Coyle, who had called a halt after just 38 seconds, in his attempts to inflict further damage on the defenceless Savarese.

Tyson, already the target of women’s groups who campaigned against Home Secretary Jack Straw’s decision to allow the convicted rapist into the country, caused further revulsion in Glasgow with his sickening post-fight rant in which he threatened to eat Lewis’ as yet unborn children and rip out the heavyweight champion’s heart and feed it to him.

But the board only reprimanded him for that part of his misdemeanours.

Lewis has also had his recent share of controversies. As well as splitting from Maloney and long-term British promoter Panos Eliades, with whom he is involved in a multi-million pound legal action currently going through the American courts, this is the second successive fight in which he has been involved in a pre-match brawl.

Maloney added: ‘‘Lennox had the same sort of thing with Hasim Rahman so he isn’t the cleanest of the clean. All the people around him seem to believe they have to prove they are the big boys.’’

One of Lewis’ bodyguards is alleged to have struck the first blow as Tyson confronted the champion but Maloney said: ‘‘Whoever threw the first punch, it is a disgrace to boxing.’’

The Nevada State Athletic Commission have the power to scupper plans for the richest fight in the history of boxing when they consider the debacle as part of Tyson’s application for his boxing licence next Tuesday and Maloney has no doubts about the action he believes they should take.

‘‘The commission should have the nerve to call the whole thing off but I doubt whether they will because of the huge amounts of money involved.

‘‘I don’t think the fight should happen because what went on is a disgrace for the sport,’’ said Maloney.

He believes that the horror show will inevitably add to the value of the fight, scheduled for Las Vegas on April 6.

‘‘It definitely wasn’t stage-managed and it will put the pay-per-view TV sales through the roof. Lennox isn’t particularly good at selling fights but this could have done the job for him. Everyone will want to see what happens now,’’ he said.

Maloney, who had previously tipped Tyson to win the long-awaited showdown between two fighters well past their prime, believes that the balance could now have swung in favour of Lewis, with the disgraceful scenes in New York following hot on the heels of Tyson’s split with his trainer Tommy Brooks.

‘‘If Tyson doesn’t get his act together Lewis will win the fight comfortably,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve heard the stories of the fall-out with Brooks and Tyson doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get himself into training camp. If he doesn’t prepare properly Lennox will beat him if the fight ever happens,’’ Maloney added.