BOXING ROUNDUP : Lewis Keeps Name in Title Picture After TKO Victory Over Fortune

Former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, “keeping busy” while waiting for a title fight, stopped Australian Justin Fortune in the fourth round Sunday at Dublin, Ireland.

After trainer Emmanuel Steward told him to pick up the pace, Lewis came out in the fourth with a flurry of punches that had Fortune wobbling.

A powerful right to Fortune’s head rocked the Aussie. While Fortune was stumbling, three right uppercuts sent him against the ropes and onto the canvas, and the referee stopped the bout.

Lewis, from Britain, is desperate for a chance to regain the title he lost to Oliver McCall in two rounds at London last September. Lewis’ manager, Frank Maloney, said he expected him to have a championship fight before October, with McCall’s WBC belt the top priority.

This was Lewis’ second fight since his loss to McCall. He beat Lionel Butler seven weeks ago, and while he was criticized for fighting a mismatch like this, Lewis stressed he needed the work and to build on his relationship with his new trainer, Steward.

Lewis is 21-7 with 23 knockouts.

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Johnny Tapia improved to 30-0-2 with a majority decision over Arthur Johnson in defense of his World Boxing Organization super flyweight title at Albuquerque, N.M.

Tapia’s third successful defense came a week before he is to be arraigned on assault charges in connection with a June 7 incident in which he allegedly pointed a gun at his wife Teresa.