Boxing: 'No chance' of Lewis-Tyson fight this year
The chances of a world heavyweight title showdown between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson have diminished after Lewis admitted his doubt over whether the fight would ever take place.
Lewis has effectively ruled out the possibility of the fight happening this year despite earlier suggestions from his business manager Adrian Ogun that he was working towards a July 21 date.
Despite both sides' statements of intent, Lewis' and Tyson's advisers are yet to get around the table to discuss a date.
Lewis told the Daily Mail: "There's no chance of it taking place in the foreseeable future.
"I'm fed up with Mike and his manager Shelly Finkel pretending that I'm the one who doesn't want the fight.
"They are the ones who keep messing me about and keeping me waiting. Then they blame me for taking the other fights I need to keep in shape."
Lewis next defends his title against American Hasim Rahman in Johannesburg on April 21 and has a shortage of credible challengers should the Tyson fight not come off.
A third fight with Evander Holyfield was apparently scuppered at the weekend when he was beaten in his WBA title defence by Johnny Ruiz - and the prospect of a Lewis-Ruiz fight hardly has punters breathless with excitement.
Showtime chief Jay Larkin, whose company contracts Tyson while Lewis is with rival American television network Home Box Office, also dismissed predictions that the fight would happen this year.
Showtime insist they will not allow a Lewis-Tyson bout to be shown on HBO - but Lewis refuses to break his present deal and fight on Showtime.
Larkin said: "The fight is not going to happen. Not on July 21, not this year, perhaps never."
