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Positive thinking Lewis looks to get back on track
Posted: Tuesday April 25, 2000 10:48 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Britain's Lennox Lewis was relaxed as he sat on the apron of the Madison Square Garden ring and talked after a light workout Monday. A little more than a year ago, he left that same ring in anger after his fight against Evander Holyfield was scored a draw, although Lewis appeared to be a clear winner. "Last time I came here it was a bad situation," said the heavyweight champion, who will fight unbeaten Michael Grant Saturday night in the Garden. "This time it's going to be a great situation. I feel very confident. I'm just going out there and show I'm the best fighter on the planet." He did not say it, but the attitude of his camp is he won't have to depend on judges to determine the outcome of the 12-round match. "He was made to look ordinary against Lou Savarese, and he was on the floor against Andrew Golota," Frank Maloney, Lewis' manager, said of Grant. Grant (31-0, 22 knockouts) outpointed Savarese in a mauling 10-round match June 19, and he had to get up from two first-round knockdowns to stop Golota in the 10th round Nov. 20. "No way if Lewis hits Grant the way Golota hit him that Grant will get up," Maloney said. At stake Saturday night will be the WBC and IBF titles. Lewis retained the WBC championship and won the IBF and WBA titles when he scored a unanimous decision over Holyfield in their rematch Nov. 20 at Las Vegas. A judge in New York ruled that Lewis breached a contract by signing to fight Grant instead of making a mandatory defense against the WBA's highest available contender, adding he must relinquish the WBA title if he fights Grant. The decision will be appealed. "The main thing I know is that I'm the undisputed champion with the belts or without the belts," Lewis said. "I feel like I'm the people's champion." However, he says the belts are a symbol of achievement. "I've worked so hard to get them," he said. "You just don't give them up."
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