Lewis-Tyson Bout Clears Big Hurdle

A heavyweight title fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson moved one huge step closer to reality Friday, while negotiations for an Oscar De La Hoya-Fernando Vargas fight plunged to the name-calling level.

Tyson, a two-time former heavyweight champion, has dropped his plans for a Jan. 19 match against Ray Mercer, the biggest obstacle to an April 6 fight against Lewis, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council champion.

One hurdle remains: The broadcast rights, to be negotiated between HBO, which has Lewis under contract, and Showtime, which has Tyson.

“I’m hopeful,” said Shelly Finkel, Tyson’s manager. “It’s not done yet.”

In a statement, Tyson said: “This is a business. I’m sure Ray understands why I need to take Lennox out now. Lennox made me an offer that I could not refuse and it is time to give the people what they want.... The heavyweight championship is my destiny. I need my belts on my waist again.”

Referring to Lewis’ recent cameo in the movie “Ocean’s Eleven,” Tyson added, “Keep taking those acting lessons, Lennox, because your next role will be playing Cinderella, and I am going to break your little glass chin.”

With negotiations for De La Hoya-Vargas at a low point, Gary Shaw, Vargas’ promoter, has raised the rhetoric by accusing promoter Bob Arum of once trying to steal his fighter.

Shaw says Arum, who has reconciled with De La Hoya after a nasty split last year, met with Vargas in the interim.

“Arum brought Fernando to Las Vegas,” Shaw said, “and told Fernando he wanted to be his promoter, that Fernando was the man who could beat Oscar De La Hoya. Fernando, of course, turned him down.

“I never tried to steal Oscar to try and beat Vargas. When I’m with a fighter, I’m with a fighter. I don’t change loyalty. Bob Arum is all about chasing money. There is no love between him and the fighter.

“I have to laugh that Arum and De La Hoya are again in bed together after everything they said about each other.”

Vargas said Shaw’s story is true. Arum, choosing not to comment directly, said through spokesman Bill Caplan that Shaw’s charge was “unfounded.”

Said Shaw: “If Arum feels it’s not true, let him sue me and Fernando.”

This is just the latest exchange in the ugly negotiations for a proposed May 4 match between De La Hoya, the World Boxing Council 154-pound champion, and Vargas, the World Boxing Assn. 154-pound titleholder.

Shaw said Friday he is moving on, having opened negotiations with representatives of Mamadou Thiam, the WBA’s top-ranked 154-pound fighter, for a March 9 bout.

“My first choice is still Oscar De La Hoya,” Shaw said, “but we are not going ahead as long as the offer is for $5 million. This is not a bluff.

“Their worst tactic was in going to the newspapers to negotiate, and in publicly calling Fernando scared. I know him and I know that is not going to bring Fernando to the table.”

The $5-million offer to Vargas is $3 million more than his previous high, for his fight last year against Felix Trinidad, but it’s also $3 million less than Vargas was offered last summer to fight De La Hoya when De La Hoya’s promoter was Jerry Perenchio.

Vargas and Shaw were ready to sign for the $8-million offer, but it was withdrawn by Perenchio.

“The $8 million was unrealistic,” Arum said. “That’s why it was withdrawn.”

De La Hoya says the Sept. 11 attacks are also a huge factor.

“We can’t offer the same money because the economy is not the same as before the terrorist attacks,” De La Hoya said.

“Why not take this offer? Who’s he going to fight, that Mama guy? And if he does, he’ll probably get beat.”

Shaw maintains the lower offer doesn’t have as much to do with Sept. 11 as it does with Arum’s entrance into the negotiations after De La Hoya severed ties to Perenchio.

“I’ve said all along that, if Bob Arum came in, he was going to have to get paid,” Shaw said. “We do not expect him to work for free. But Fernando Vargas is not going to pay him.”

As for the economic impact of Sept. 11, Shaw and Vargas argued that the times don’t seem different for De La Hoya, who would make at least $14 million for a Vargas fight.

“There’s $20 million in the pot,” said Shaw, who insists he will not allow his fighter to enter the ring for only a quarter of the total purse.