Tyson Sweetens Pot for Rahman

Friday, Mike Tyson counterpunched.

Handlers for the two-time former heavyweight champion, locked in a high-stakes battle with Lennox Lewis for a shot at newly crowned champion Hasim Rahman, increased their offer $2 million, to $16 million, and went to court in an attempt to block a Lewis-Rahman rematch.

The Lewis forces had been offering $14 million and have been threatening to go to court themselves to enforce a rematch clause in Lewis’ contract with Rahman.

Both sides are offering perks that include additional fights for Rahman at up to nearly $7 million a bout, plus Rahman’s right to eventually fight the odd man out, once a contract is signed.

It has been 14 days since Rahman, a 20-1 underdog, knocked out Lewis in the fifth round of their match in South Africa for the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles.

But even as Rahman stood in the center of the ring, celebrating one of the most shocking upsets in heavyweight history, forces were mobilizing to get him back into the ring.

The battle lines were clear.

On one side were Lewis and HBO, the cable network he is contractually tied to. On the other were Tyson and his cable network, Showtime.

In the middle are three men who have all been jolted by Rahman’s devastating knockout punch.

There is the 28-year-old Rahman himself. The Baltimore boxer has been fighting for only eight years and once earned $200 for a fight.

There is Rahman’s co-manager, Stan Hoffman, who has burst into brightness after suffering through the darkest days of his 52-year career. He was identified by promoter Bob Arum as the bag man after Arum agreed to pay former IBF president Bob Lee $100,000 to sanction a 1995 heavyweight title fight between George Foreman and Axel Schulz.

And there is Rahman’s promoter, Cedric Kushner, who was facing criticism that he was not doing enough to promote the career of welterweight Shane Mosley.

But in the wild, unpredictable world of boxing, one punch can change perceptions and fortunes.

A week ago, Rahman said, if all things were equal, he would prefer to face a new challenge in Tyson.

Then the bidding began, Rahman’s handlers setting a minimum of $10 million for his next fight.

Showtime offered $12 million. Soon, each side was up to $14 million.

HBO guaranteed six more fights if Rahman could beat Lewis again, at ever-increasing purses up to nearly $7 million, with a guarantee of two more fights even if Rahman should lose. Showtime has agreed to similar conditions.

Lewis’ handlers, maintaining that Rahman is obligated to a rematch within five months, vowed to back that obligation with legal action if necessary. Showtime offered indemnification against such a suit.

And, complicating things, HBO offered Rahman an out after a Lewis fight, which would allow Rahman to fight Tyson on Showtime. Showtime has belatedly come up with the same out in reverse, allowing Rahman, after fighting Tyson, to jump to HBO for a Lewis fight.

“The whole thing has gone totally nuts,” Kushner said.

Hoffman, whose co-manager is Steve Nelson, figures his cell phone has been ringing an average of 100 times a day.

Despite published reports late this week that Rahman was close to signing with HBO, those close to the new champion emphatically deny that.

“That is absolutely untrue,” insisted Kushner.

Rahman, Hoffman, Kushner and Nelson planned to meet Monday in New York, hoping to reach a decision, the fight against either opponent to be held in August, almost certainly in Las Vegas.

Then came the latest moves by the Tyson camp late Friday.

According to Shelly Finkel, Tyson’s manager, WBC rules prohibit an immediate rematch, requiring instead an interim fight. The Tyson forces have gone to a New York federal court, asking that that rule be enforced.

According to Kathy Duva of Main Events, Lewis’ promoter, the WBC cannot mandate a rematch, but the fighters can agree to fight again on their own.

Finkel is so certain his side will win, he has postponed Tyson’s next scheduled match--June 2 against David Izon--indefinitely.

Will the decision ultimately be made by a judge? Will Rahman and his advisors go ahead with their decision next week? Will the battle in the ring be delayed interminably by the battle between the two former champions’ camps?

There are no complaints from the men in the middle, the men who can’t lose either way.

“This is what you live for,” Kushner said, “a dream come true.”

QUICK JABS

An opponent has not yet been signed for Mosley’s July 21 fight in Las Vegas. But Kushner knows who won’t be fighting the WBC welterweight champion when he returns to the ring in September. Arum has been pushing World Boxing Assn. champion Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis.

“I can categorically tell you that won’t happen,” said Kushner, who is hoping to sign an opponent worthy of a pay-per-view telecast.

Former welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya has settled his legal differences with HBO.