UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center Will Have Its First Boxing Card

George Foreman will fight Alex Stewart tonight in the first boxing card at Nevada Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center. About 12,000 are expected for the HBO telecast in the 19,000-seat arena.

Foreman will earn $5 million, Stewart $250,000.

Foreman, 43, has a 70-3 record with 66 knockouts and is 25-1 since he began his comeback in 1987 after a 10-year retirement. His only defeat during his second career was a decision to Holyfield a year ago.

Stewart, a 27-year-old London native now living in Brooklyn, N.Y., once was considered one of the heavyweight division’s best talents. He won his first 24 fights by knockout but has lost three of his last seven.

Stewart had Holyfield out on his feet at one point in their 1989 bout, before Holyfield was champion, but lost on a technical knockout because of cuts.

Against Mike Tyson in 1990, Stewart was knocked down three times before losing in the first round. Last July, he was stopped in four by Michael Moorer.

Foreman comes off an easy three-round knockout of Jimmy Ellis at Reno in December. Stewart stopped Joe Christjohn in three rounds in Katowice, Poland, in February.

Also tonight, James Toney (28-0-2), who dethroned Michael Nunn last May as International Boxing Federation middleweight champion, defends against Glen Wolfe (27-2-1).

At the weigh-in Friday, Foreman was at 259 pounds and Stewart at 227. Both Toney and Wolfe weighed the middleweight maximum of 160.