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I'll Fight Klitschko For $100 Million - Lennox Lewis - Sports - Nairaland

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I'll Fight Klitschko For $100 Million - Lennox Lewis by Napolitano(m): 11:17am On Oct 17, 2013



Lennox Lewis has told Russian promoters that he will come back to fight one of the Klitschko brothers for the biggest purse in boxing history. The 48-year-old, who is still the most recent undisputed world heavyweight champion, was offered $50million (£31.3m) in Moscow at the weekend while attending Wladimir Klitschko’s successful defence of his world titles against Alexander Povetkin.

Lewis responded by promising to return to the ring for $100m (£62.6m). The promoters are considering doubling their bid and Lewis says: “That is my price tag and it is under discussion.

“I have told them I can be ready in six months and I am in provisional training.” Lewis, in London to launch his new training academy for potential world heavyweight champions, is running in Hyde Park each morning.

He reports himself to be “already well under 136kg”. He weighed around 111kg in his prime. Lewis believes that in a fight next spring he can surpass big George Foreman, who regained the title at the age of 48, as the oldest world heavyweight champion of all time.

His price for coming out of retirement would give him the biggest pay-note in boxing history.

Floyd Mayweather holds that record having been guaranteed $41.2million for last month’s super fight with Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez, with his take expected to rise to $70million once all the pay-per-view revenue is accounted for.

Lewis was talking in terms of $50million when he last considered a return to the ring.

Now he says: “I said at the time that it will take $50million to get me out of my pyjamas but now I have to consider the value of my legacy of having retired as undisputed champion. That will cost them $100million.”

The older of the Klitschko brothers, now 42, who holds the WBC world title, has campaigned consistently for a return bout. And if that were to become his last fight before retiring to seek the presidency of his native Ukraine it would be worth an absolute fortune.

Lewis would prefer to fight Wladimir, 37, saying: “I beat Vitali so I would like to fight the other brother but we’ll see how it works out. I want to bring back the Sweet Science to heavyweight boxing.”


Boxers who came out of Retirement

George Foreman – After a decade out of the ring, he returned aged 38 and fought for another 10 years. He regained the IBF and WBA world titles he’d lost to Muhammad Ali 20 years previously by beating Michael Moorer in 1994.

Evander Holyfield – Quit in 1994 with a heart problem but returned after seeing a faith healer on TV. Last fought against Brian Nielsen in 2011.

Riddick Bowe – Retired at 28 to join the US Marine Corps Reserve but quit three days into training and returned to the ring seven years later. His last fight was in 2008, when he was 41.

Ricky Hatton – Quit after defeats by Floyd Mayweather in 2007 and Manny Pacquiao in 2009 but returned in 2012 to face Vyacheslav Senchenko, who stopped him in eight.

Sugar Ray Leonard – Retired four times from 1982 and 1997.

http://www.sportinferno.com/article/184/ill-fight-klitschko-for-100-million-lennox-lewis/

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