New York, March 22: The drama of a boxing ring was absent in US Federal court as lawyers for heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis of Britain and promoter Don King argued over one of Lewis' championship belts.Lewis, who was not in the Manhattan courtroom where the case began before a judge on Tuesday, says King cannot block the World Boxing Association from permitting Lewis to fight someone other than its No 1 contender in his next bout.King argues through his lawyer, Peter Fleming Jr, that Lewis must give up his WBA belt because he will fail to fight the top contender by May 13, six months after he won the title from Evander Holyfield.The WBA had told Lewis he must fight the top contender, Johnny Ruiz, in his next mandatory defense before taking other fights. Later, the WBA agreed he could instead fight Michael Grant in New York on April 29.King wants a ruling by US district judge Lewis A Kaplan to force the WBA to strip Lewis of his title and allow Ruiz to fight Holyfield, the WBA's No 2 contender, for the championship.Grant (35-1-1) is ranked No 5 by the WBA, and No 2 by the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation. Besides being ranked No 1 by the WBA, Ruiz (36-3) is the WBC's No 1 contender. He is No 4 in the IBF ratings. King said Lewis agreed to meet the WBA's No 1 contender before his title fight against then-champion Holyfield last March, which ended in a disputed draw. Lewis won the rematch last November.Ruiz is tentatively set to fight Holyfield, and King hopes it will be for the WBA title. The bout might not take place if Lewis wins a court ruling allowing him to keep his WBA belt.Holyfield watched some of the court proceedings. King also sat among the spectators. Holyfield told reporters Lewis ``thinks he's bigger than boxing and that's just wrong''.
