• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

A look back at sports

Former champion Lewis would return for $100m payday

LONDON
Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:16pm EST
Former boxer Lennox Lewis attends the Ricky Hatton of England versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. of US WBC welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada December 8, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

LONDON (Reuters) - Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis would be tempted out of retirement by the lure of a $100 million payday as well as his desire to "save the sport," he told a British newspaper on Sunday.

Sports

Lewis who retired from the ring in 2003 after beating Vitali Klitschko but the 43-year-old said he could be ready for a title fight after six months of training.

"If someone wants to pay me serious money, $100m or so, then I will fight again," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"I don't have to do this, I don't need the money and my legacy speaks for itself. But boxing needs me. The heavyweight game is so boring now. All the characters are gone. I would like to save my sport."

Lewis said the poor quality of the current crop of heavyweights was one of the main reasons he was tempted to return to the ring.

"Boxers usually come back or continue fighting for two reasons," he said. "Either the atmosphere of the crowd or the money. Me? I don't need either, I'm happy as I am.

"But I think the sport needs me and I love my sport. And I don't like seeing it the way it is."

(Writing by Miles Evans; Editing by Peter Rutherford)



More from Reuters

Photo

Obama blames "systemic failures" for plane attack

KANEOHE, Hawaii (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday blamed "human and systemic failures" for allowing a botched Christmas Day attack aboard a Detroit-bound airliner and a U.S. official said the incident was linked to al Qaeda. | Video

Leaves gather in front of an empty and boarded-up house in Youngstown, Ohio November 21, 2009.    REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Castles built on sand

Rust-belt American cities like Youngstown, Ohio were battered by the downturn. Now they're ready to move on, but it won’t be easy. The first in a three-part report.  Full Article 

REUTERS/James Saft

Welcome to the "Teenies"

Shrinking financial sector? Paltry investment returns? Welcome to the the next decade. Don't worry, there's some good news, too.  Commentary