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This is an archive article published on March 19, 1999

Lewis’ promoter springs surprise Mandela offer

London, March 18: South African president Nelson Mandela has offered to stage a rematch between British heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis an...

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London, March 18: South African president Nelson Mandela has offered to stage a rematch between British heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis and American rival Evander Holyfield in South Africa, Lewis’s promoter said today.

Nelson Mandela’s people attended my office yesterday,” Panos Eliades told a news conference. “Nelson is shocked by what happened to Lennox.

“He has given me a bid for South Africa which is approximately twice as much as anyone else in the world would pay for this fight. He feels Lennox has been treated very badly.”

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Eliades said Mandela was ready to put forward a 22-carat Mandela belt worth 3 million dollars for the winners and wanted to scrap boxing’s current ruling bodies in favour of a new Mandela organisation.

“He wants the other organisations wiped off,” said Eliades.

Lewis doubts Holyfield: Meanwhile, Lewis said in London today Holyfield is only looking after the world heavyweight champion belts that rightly belong to the British boxer. “He is holding my belts for me atthe moment. They’re my belts, he’sjust holding them,” Lewis said on his return from New York and Saturday’s controversial drawn bout with the reigning world champion.

“If Evander is a man he should admit he got beaten and give me my belts, but he’s not that kind of character,” said Lewis.

Lewis’s manager Panos Eliades told the news conference at London’s Heathrow Airport he doubted whether Holyfield really wanted a rematch.

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“We’re discussing terms with Evander Holyfield. I don’t know whether he wants to fight Lennox. He’s asked for even more money than he earned at the last fight,” said Eliades.

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