Tyson not yes on Lewis card

Those details were revealed yesterday when promoters announced the fight card to be conducted at Staples Center, a venue secured in part because California agreed to provide Tyson with a license to fight.

Tyson is expected to fight Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan but has not yet signed a contract for the fight, promoter Gary Shaw said.

“We just haven’t completed a deal for Mike to fight on this card, but we are cautiously optimistic,” Shaw said.

Lewis was not worried about Tyson, 50-4 with 44 knockouts. His addition on the card could mean tens of millions of dollars in pay-per-view sales.

“We’re optimistic about it. I’m not really worried about that right now,” said Lewis. “I’m the champion. With Tyson on the card, it’s an added bonus.”

The WBC had threatened to strip Lewis of his crown if he did not face Vitali Klitschko, the top-ranked challenger from Ukraine, or Tyson.

Tyson is on record as saying he needs more fights before a rematch with the man who knocked him out last June.

Instead, the WBC will not sanction the fight against Johnson.

The only true crown at stake for Lewis is the “linear” title, going to the man who beat the prior champion in the ring, regardless of sanctioning body decisions.

“That’s the biggest belt out there,” Lewis said. “There is no higher.”