Lewis date remains a mystery

Lennox Lewis will definitely defend his world heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko in April – but the exact date remains a mystery.

Ukrainian Klitschko said on an American television chat show that all contracts for the bout had been signed and that they would fight on April 12.

But both camps today insisted that the April 12 date remained only one of a number of possible options.

That date remains the favoured one because it would ensure the bout took place in Las Vegas. If it was one week later it would be more likely to be staged in either New York or Atlantic City.

A spokesman for Klitschko’s Universum promoters in Germany told PA Sport: “The problem is that the date still has to be confirmed and we don’t know exactly when that will happen.

“We have been told by them (Lewis’ camp) that the fight is OK, but we are now still waiting for an exact date.”

Lewis’ return has been a long-drawn out process. He announced he would continue after beating Mike Tyson and planned a series which would incorporate fights with both Klitschko brothers and Tyson again.

But he appeared to get cold feet last month when he questioned the older Klitschko’s credentials for a crack at his world titles.