Lewis- Tyson June bout June 8 in Memphis
NEW YORK, March 26 (UPI) -- Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson finally found a place and a time to fight with defending his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles against Tyson at The Pyramid in Memphis on June 8.
The fight originally was scheduled for April 6 in Las Vegas, but Tyson was denied a license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The hearing occurred on Jan. 29, one week after Tyson and Lewis brawled during a press conference in New York.
"Lewis-Tyson is the matchup the whole world has been waiting for," Lewis said. "I am confident I will cement my legacy when I dispose of Tyson on June 8."
Tyson (49-3, 43 KOs, 2 no-contests) had his license suspended after biting the ears of Evander Holyfield in their 1997 rematch, and again in 1999 when he hit Orlin Norris after the bell in a fight that resulted in a no-contest. Since then, Tyson has won all four of his fights, with three coming overseas.
In his most recent bout, the former undisputed champion registered a seventh-round technical knockout over Brian Nielsen, on Oct. 13 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"On June 8, I guarantee I will knock Lewis out and regain my heavyweight championship," Tyson proclaimed.
A former undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson suffered his first loss on Feb. 11, 1990 when he was knocked out in the 10th round by James "Buster" Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. He has battled personal problems since and did not fight from 1992-95 as he served a prison sentence in Indiana for rape.
After he was denied by Nevada, Tyson applied for a license in several locales, including Washington, D.C. and Michigan.
Lewis (39-2-1, 30 KOs) regained the WBC and IBF belts last November 17 when he knocked out Hasim Rahman in the fourth round at Las Vegas. Rahman registered a big upset last April 21 when he stopped Lewis in five rounds in Johannesburg, South Africa. The two also scuffled during a pre-fight interview that was televised on ESPN, although the rematch did not draw nearly the amount of interest and money that a bout with Tyson will.
Lewis has defeated Holyfield twice and his only other loss came against Oliver McCall in 1994. He avenged that defeat three years later. The IBF granted Lewis an exception to fight Tyson before mandatory challenger Chris Byrd but set Monday as a deadline. Tyson is the No. 1 ranked contender by the WBC.
Cincinnati coach turns down West Virginia
CINCINNATI, March 26 (UPI) -- Basketball coach Bob Huggins spurned his alma mater West Virginia Monday and will remain at Cincinnati.
Huggins, whose .744 winning percentage is second among active coaches, reportedly discussed a contract over the weekend with officials at West Virginia. Following a meeting with Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin on Monday, Huggins announced he was staying at the Conference USA school.
While Huggins is 372-100 and has guided the Bearcats to postseason appearances in each of his 13 years at the school, Cincinnati has gotten past the second round of the NCAA Tournament just four times during his tenure. The Bearcats were the top seed in the West Region in this year's tournament but lost in the second round to No. 8 UCLA, 105-101.
Huggins, who coached at Akron and Walsh College before coming to Cincinnati in 1989, owns a 500-172 career record and is the 95th coach in NCAA history to reach the 500-win mark.
His decision leaves open West Virginia's search for a successor to Gale Catlett, who retired after 23 years at the school.
Forsberg to resume skating Thursday
DENVER, March 26 (UPI) -- Colorado Avalanche center Peter Forsberg, who has not played an NHL game in 10 months, will resume skating Thursday, 2 ½ months after undergoing surgery on the tendons in his left foot.
Considered by many to be the world's top two-way hockey player, Forsberg will skate for just 10 minutes and team officials have set no date for his return. Recovery from the type of surgery Forsberg underwent on Jan. 10 typically is four months.
Forsberg, 28, had planned to return to the Avalanche in time to compete for Sweden at the Salt Lake City Olympics. But he was forced to undergo what was believed to be season-ending surgery.
The 1995 Calder Trophy winner has not played since last May, when he underwent an emergency splenectomy just hours after Colorado defeated Los Angeles in the seventh game of the Western Conference semifinals.
Forsberg stunned teammates and Avalanche officials in September when he announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence, at least partly to recover from numerous injuries. Over the summer, he had a second surgical procedure performed on his ankles. Colorado initially suspended Forsberg but lifted it and signed him to a one-year, $9.5 million contract extension for the 2002-03 season.
Forsberg's return for the playoffs would be a major boost to the defending Stanley Cup champions, who are closing in on an eighth straight division title but have been shut out 10 times this season. He has averaged more than a point per game in each of his seven NHL seasons and has made six All-Star appearances. Last season, he totaled 27 goals and 62 assists in 73 games with a plus-23 rating.
Bucs get Dunn replacement
TAMPA, Fla.., March 26 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, looking to fill a vacancy in the backfield following the departure of Warrick Dunn, have reached an agreement with Michael Pittman.
It was reported Monday that the Bucs agreed to a five-year deal with Pittman, a free-agent tailback who has spent the past his first four NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN did not report financial terms.
The Bucs have been looking for help in the backfield after Dunn signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. The answer could be Pittman, who has emerged as a solid all-around running back. Over the past two seasons, Pittman has rushed for 1,565 yards and caught 115 passes.
Tigers, Rockies swap relief pitchers
LAKELAND, Fla., March 26 (UPI) -- Following a short stay with the Colorado Rockies, Jose Paniagua has found a new home with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers on Monday acquired the 28-year-old reliever from the Rockies for another reliever, Victor Santos, and minor league infielder Ronnie Merrill.
Paniagua spent 2001 with the Seattle Mariners before being traded to Colorado in an offseason deal that sent third baseman Jeff Cirillo to Seattle. Paniagua was 4-3 with a 4.36 ERA and three saves in 60 games last year.
Santos was 2-2 with seven saves and a 3.30 ERA in 33 games for the Tigers last season. Merrill split last season between the Class A and Class AA levels and hit a combined .309 with 12 homers and 71 RBI.
Europe-Britain golf tourney set
DUBLIN, Ireland , March 26 (UPI) -- Lee Westwood and Alex Cejka have been handed wildcard entries for the second Seve Trophy golf tournanment between Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe, officials announced Monday.
Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie opted for England's Westwood as his wildcard for next month's event at Druids Glen in County Wicklow. Meanwhile, Europe captain Seve Ballesteros, after whom the tournament is named, chose German player Cejka after Bernhard Langer and Sergio Garcia both declined the offer to play, despite qualifying.
The tournament opens April 19.
