Money Gets Lewis Out of Way for Tyson Fight

The handlers of Mike Tyson couldn’t win in court, so they paid Lennox Lewis, who agreed Thursday to step aside and let Tyson fight World Boxing Assn. champion Bruce Seldon on July 13 in Las Vegas.

The New Jersey Supreme Court had blocked Tyson’s bid to fight Seldon after Lewis had gone to court, claiming that he should be fighting for Tyson’s World Boxing Council title, rather than Seldon. Attempts by Tyson and promoter Don King to overturn that decision failed, and that crown will not be at stake when Tyson fights Seldon.

Though terms of the agreement were not announced, Lewis reportedly will be paid an amount in seven figures and is guaranteed a fight with Tyson by Sept. 1 for the WBC title, provided Lewis wins a tune-up bout.

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Boxing’s governing body in New York reportedly will investigate why heavyweight Bobby Czyz quit in his fight with Evander Holyfield last week.

An ESPN report said Czyz complained of an injured back between the fifth and sixth rounds of the bout at Madison Square Garden, but his trainer, Tommy Parks, insisted to the fighter that it was his eye that was hurt, presumably because Holyfield had liniment on his gloves.

“It’s not your back,” Parks is heard to say on the videotape. “I said it’s your eye. Let me do it. Just let me do it. Let me do it. It’s your eye. If I say it’s your eye, that’s what it is. You ain’t fighting no more.”

The referee then comes over to the fighter’s corner and Czyz is heard to say, “There’s something in my eye. It’s burning like crazy, burning like crazy.”

Football

Bryan and Joel Glazer, sons of Tampa Bay Buccaneer owner Malcolm Glazer, and Buccaneer General Manager Rich McKay are in Southern California, investigating the prospects for moving the team here. They were scheduled to meet with Hollywood Park officials and with agent Leigh Steinberg, who has actively promoted Orange County as potential site for an NFL team.

The Buccaneers have a “walk-a-way” lease that would allow them to buy their freedom for $6 million and move elsewhere should a Sept. 3 Hillsboro County referendum to build a new stadium through a sales-tax increase fail.

The team has also talked to Orlando-area officials about a move there. The Buccaneers must pay a $35-million penalty to the Culverhouse trust if they leave central Florida.

Northwestern Coach Gary Barnett, who agreed to a new contract shortly after the Wildcats played in the Rose Bowl, finally signed the deal. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the contract reportedly is for 12 years, at $500,000 per season.

Rich Griffith, a tight end with 16 receptions for 243 yards for Jacksonville last season, re-signed with the Jaguars.

Golf

Wayne Levi, Jeff Gallagher and Omar Uresti mastered devilish winds and each shot 66, four under par, to share the first-round lead in the Colonial at Fort Worth.

Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain overcame gusting winds and a winter-like day with a four-under-par 68 for a one-shot lead over Bernhard Langer, Peter Baker, Howard Clark and Jean Van de Velde after one round of the $1-million Benson and Hedges International in England.

Tennis

Stefan Edberg, who has dropped to No. 54 in the world rankings, upset second-seeded Goran Ivanisevic, 6-4, 6-2, and top-seeded Thomas Muster beat the last American in the field, Todd Martin, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome.

Second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was tested for nearly three hours before defeating Ludmila Richterova, 6-7 (9-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), and reaching the quarterfinals of the German Open in Berlin. Fifth-seeded Mary Pierce lost to Karina Habsudova, 6-7 (7-4), 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).

Top-seeded Mark Woodforde lost to fellow Australian Richard Fromberg, 6-4, 6-7 (8-6), 6-4, in a second-round match at America’s Red Clay Championship at Coral Springs, Fla.

Jurisprudence

Florida State wide receiver Randy Moss faces up to a year in jail and a $500 fine if found guilty of a probation violation after admitting smoking marijuana while serving a work-release sentence in Charleston, W.Va., for beating up a fellow high school student in March of 1995.

Last year, Moss was sentenced to 30 days in jail to be spread over 18 months so he could play football, but he failed a drug test last week as he began serving the final 27 days of the sentence. He was serving 12 hours a day so he could work, and says he smoked the marijuana with a friend while on work-release.

Miscellany

All-Americans Marcus Camby of Massachusetts, Ray Allen of Connecticut and Allen Iverson of Georgetown lead a group of 42 players who have filed for early eligibility for the NBA draft.

The commissioners of the NFL, NBA and NHL urged Congress to defeat a bill they said would unconstitutionally force their leagues to grant expansion franchises to cities that lose teams to relocation. “No other business is subject to legislation that would determine how many operating units it must maintain or whom it must accept as an owner or partner,” NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue told a House subcommittee.

Todd Bodine was picked to take over the Winston Cup driving duties of injured Bill Elliott, beginning with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harry Gant is coming out of retirement to drive Elliott’s Ford Thunderbird in Saturday night’s Winston Select all-star race at Charlotte. Elliott broke his left thighbone in an April 28 crash at Talladega, Ala.

Mike Edge, Britain’s Olympic diving coach, has been suspended after being questioned by police over allegations of sex abuse against teenage girls.

Kristine Lilly scored goals three minutes apart to lead the U.S. women’s soccer team to a 4-0 victory over Japan at Horsham, Pa.