Spanish stage

Madrid in running for Lewis-Tyson fight, says EBU chief

MADRID (Reuters) -- Madrid has "a great chance" of hosting this year's world heavyweight clash between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson if the bout does not go ahead in the United States, says European Boxing Union president Ruben Martinez.

If fight organizers have not found a U.S. venue by this Thursday, then Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium would become a leading contender, Martinez said in an interview with As newspaper on Wednesday.

"If, by March 7, they (fight organisers) don't have a venue in the United States, they'll start negotiations for the fight to be staged abroad," Martinez was quoted as saying.

"They already have on their desk a proposal to come to Spain, to the Bernabeu. They like the idea of the venue. It's ideal.

"I believe that, if the Tyson fight is staged outside the United States, Spain has a great chance," he added.

Around 20 cities across the world are seeking to host the bout.

Spanish newspapers reported last month that promoter Martin Berrocal was proposing the Bernabeu as a possible venue.

"Martin Berrocal had the idea to bring the fight to Madrid," Martinez said. "When problems started to arise with the United States, he got in contact with me and asked me to take the first steps.

Starting point

"I spoke with (World Boxing Council president) Jose Sulaiman. At the moment, we're waiting for the date of March 7 because that would be the starting point for negotiations."

Martinez added there had not yet been any official discussions with Real Madrid, which is currently celebrating its centenary year.

The proposed heavyweight fight has had problems finding a host, being rejected by several potential venues in the U.S. because of a brawl at a Tyson-Lewis news conference in New York in January after which the Briton accused Tyson of biting him in the leg.

Tyson, 35, had been scheduled to take on Lewis in April in the boxing Mecca of Las Vegas, but the state athletic commission refused to renew the New Yorker's lapsed licence after the news conference fracas.

Since then Tyson, who was banned from boxing for a year in 1997 for biting off part of Evander Holyfields's ear during a fight, has been scrambling to find another venue for what could be the richest fight in boxing history.

Among international venues that have indicated interest in staging the fight -- which is likely to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the host city -- are Manila, Johannesburg, Copenhagen and Beirut.

However Tyson's management team has said the fight is still likely to be staged in the United States.

Lewis holds the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation belts.

 

Related information
Stories
Tyson looks to have license reinstated in Michigan Tyson accepts D.C. invitation for interview
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.