Moorer and Lewis Win--Hope for Rematches : Boxing: Each wants a shot at regaining his lost heavyweight title.

What happened Saturday night at Arco Arena was predictable. What happens next is anything but.

In the world of boxing, this is no upset.

Michael Moorer and Lennox Lewis won their first fights since losing their heavyweight titles. But neither is sure he’ll get another shot at the man who took his respective crown.

And one of Saturday’s losers, Lionel Butler, isn’t even sure if he’ll get his purse.

Moorer (36-1, 30 knockouts), the former World Boxing Assn. and International Boxing Federation champion, won a unanimous 10-round decision over Melvin Foster (19-2-1, 14 KOs) six months after losing his title to George Foreman.

Lewis (26-1, 22 KOs), the former World Boxing Council heavyweight titleholder, knocked out Butler (23-11-1, 17 KOs) at 2:55 of the fifth round of a scheduled 12-rounder eight months after losing his title to Oliver McCall.

Moorer wants a rematch with Foreman, but Foreman may have other ideas. The WBC has promised Lewis a rematch with McCall, but McCall is expected to take another fight first.

Of the two performances Saturday, Moorer’s was the less impressive.

He was fighting a man who had only learned he was going to step into the ring six days ago when Moorer’s original opponent, Tim Puller, had to pull out because of a hand injury.

Moorer started off strong, appeared to have Foster in serious trouble as early as the second round and buckled the knees of the 228-pounder in the 10th. Moorer won nine rounds on every card, losing only the third in each case to earn a 99-91 decision.

But he couldn’t earn the admiration of the crowd of 8,103, drawing boos for failing to knock Foster out.

When it was over, Moorer, who emerged without a scratch and barely a sweat, shrugged off his failure to put the late replacement on the canvas.

“Who do I have to prove anything to?” Moorer said. “All I have to do is win the fight. A lot of people make a big deal out of knockouts, but you can’t do it all the time.”

Moorer said he was actually pleased the fight went the distance. “It’s good to get a full 10 rounds,” he added. “When you work so hard, you get disappointed if it only goes one round.”

Lewis didn’t seem disappointed with his result, either.

He and his trainer, Emanuel Steward, took one look at Butler, who entered the ring at a gargantuan 261 pounds, and figured the best thing to do would be to let Butler wear himself out.

And that’s just what happened.

Butler, figuring a knockout was his only chance, came lumbering out in the first round as if he were a defensive lineman going after the quarterback. He threw big roundhouse rights and tried to overwhelm Lewis. But Lewis bided his time until the fifth round.

“He could have taken him sooner,” Steward said of his fighter, “but we didn’t want to take a chance.”

Convinced that Butler was finished, Lewis marched out in Round 5 and immediately threw a right-left combination that put Butler down. He got back to his feet but never back into the fight.

At the end, Lewis put Butler into the ropes with a crushing right.

Referee Marty Denkin had seen enough, not even bothering to count. “(Butler’s) hands were down,” Denkin said. “He looked like he was waiting to be hit.”

Butler admitted afterward: “(Lewis) came prepared and I didn’t.”

The biggest fight Butler put up all night came in the trainer’s room afterward when he learned that his $825,000 purse is being held up because of a dispute. At least five people, including Don King, claim to have a financial interest in Butler.