Lewis Signs Proposed Deal to Face Holyfield in April

Lennox Lewis put his name on a contract Monday for a $50-million heavyweight unification fight. Now it’s up to Evander Holyfield.

The proposed bout would take place April 25 in Las Vegas at an undetermined, according to Lewis’ promoter, Panos Eliades.

Holyfield, the World Boxing Assn. and International Boxing Federation champion, will get at least $30 million. Lewis, the World Boxing Council champion, would get at least $20 million.

“I’m happy the deal has been done,” Lewis said. “But, like all things in boxing, I’ll believe it’s happening when Holyfield and I are standing face to face in the ring in Las Vegas.”

Jim Thomas, Holyfield’s lawyer in Atlanta, disputed the contract and reported payments. He said the sides met Saturday and came very close to an agreement, but nothing was signed.

“It’s purely speculation,” he said.

Holyfield was in Houston, where he told KRIV-TV he will sign a deal soon.

“It’s close. It’s close. . . . This could be the biggest fight in ‘98,” Holyfield said.

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Ring announcer Michael Buffer, whose “Let’s get ready to rumble!” has been a staple at major boxing matches, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming his widely known opening line is being used for profit without his permission.

Buffer, 53, claims several record companies are selling a CD titled, “Craziewhite Peckawoods ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rumble’ ” without authorization.

According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, the CD repeatedly replicates Buffer’s voice and contains multiple repetitions of his trademark opening.

Judge Richard A. Paez issued a temporary restraining order Friday prohibiting further manufacture, distribution or sale of the CDs, pending a formal hearing on Buffer’s application for a preliminary injunction.

Necrology

Ross (Rosie) Gilhousen, one of baseball’s most colorful and popular scouts, died Saturday in Palm Springs. He was 84.

Gilhousen spent more than 60 years in baseball, as a player, manager and scout. He was a member of the Angels’ initial scouting staff and returned to their scouting staff in recent years after working for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.

Private services are scheduled Saturday at Palm Springs Mortuary.

Miscellany

Hambletonian winner Malabar Man was voted harness horse of the year in a poll conducted by the United States Trotting Assn. at Colt’s Neck, N.J.

The trotting colt easily defeated pacing triple crown winner Western Dreamer, 193 votes to 42.

Malabar Man, bred, owned and driven by amateur Malvern Burroughs, also won divisional honors as best in his class for the second consecutive year.

Malabar Man won 11 of 14 races this year. His 1997 earnings of $1,485,417 were the most of any Standardbred in North America.

EF Language won the third leg of the Whitbread Round the World sailing race at Sydney, Australia, in the closest segment finish in the history of the competition.

With American skipper Paul Cayard at the helm, the Swedish boat crossed the finish line in Sydney Harbor at 1:39 a.m., five minutes ahead of Swedish Match.

It took 9 days 9 hours 9 minutes and 20 seconds for EF Language to complete the 2,250-mile leg from Fremantle to Sydney.

Michelle Smith, the Irish swimmer who won three gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics, is recovering from whiplash suffered in a car accident Oct. 31 and will miss next month’s world championships.

Smith sustained back and neck injuries in the accident near her home in County Kilkenny.

Her extraordinary performance at the Atlanta Games was shadowed by unproved accusations that she took performance-enhancing drugs.

The Olympic flame for the 1998 Nagano Winter Games arrived in Tokyo from Greece today for a 7,000-runner relay around Japan ahead of the opening ceremony in February.

The flame, which burned in special canisters during the flight from Athens, was transferred to a lantern marked with the Olympic five rings after its arrival.

Mild temperatures and soft snow at Madonna Di Campiglio, Italy, forced postponement of a men’s World Cup slalom, the third ski race of four wiped out by poor weather at the site.