Foreman Will Stick With Peers

George Foreman won the fight but lost the battle against Alex Stewart on Saturday night, finishing their 10-round bout in Las Vegas with both eyes nearly swollen shut, his jaw puffed out like a balloon and blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Sunday, Foreman put aside any talk of a rematch with Evander Holyfield or a fight against contender Riddick Bowe.

Instead, Foreman, 43, set his sights on fellow comeback fighter Larry Holmes, who will fight Holyfield for the heavyweight title on June 19.

“I’ll fight for the title if Holmes wins,” Foreman said. “I’m going to see what happens with the title and I’ll be back.”

Foreman was on the verge of winning the fight in the second round when he knocked Stewart down twice, and had Stewart in trouble again in the third when he looked at referee Richard Steele as if to ask him to stop the bout.

“I thought I had him in the third round, but the referee let it go on,” he said. “I didn’t want to hurt the kid, and (then) the kid hurt me.”

Foreman was favored by one point on two cards and even on a third.