Boxing: Lewis to have operation on injured right hand

LENNOX LEWIS is to have surgery on his right hand in New York this weekend and will take a complete rest for six weeks while negotiations take place that will determine whether his next fight is against Evander Holyfield for the world title or against Frank Bruno for the unofficial accolade of best British heavyweight.

Lewis aggravated an old tendon injury when he successfully defended his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Tony Tucker in Las Vegas 10 days ago. The operation will be performed by an American specialist in boxing injuries. 'The specialist said I mustn't hit with it for another two or three weeks after that,' Lewis said. 'But if a Frank Bruno fight came up around September, I should be ready.'

Prospects of the much- vaunted encounter with Bruno being Lewis's next fight look to be receding behind a possible date with Holyfield, the former undisputed world champion who lost his title to Riddick Bowe last year.

In fact, Bruno may now be less prominent in Lewis's mind than Holyfield and whoever wins on 7 June when George Foreman and Tommy Morrison meet in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title.

Anything is possible in the world of boxing, and it has been suggested that Holyfield's name may have been thrown into the Lewis ring to persude Frank Bruno to drop his asking price for a September showdown.

'It's no bluff. Lewis-Holyfield is wanted by American television. They want it more than Holyfield-Bowe,' Maloney said. 'Bruno is a fight that is not worth anything outside Britain. The television money wouldn't be half what Lennox could get by fighting in America.

'I will be having talks with our American promoter, Dan Duva, in New York this week about the Holyfield fight. At this stage it looks more likely than Bruno. We don't need to fight Bruno.

'It's funny that Bruno did not want to fight Lennox when he was British or European champion. Now he's world champion, he wants the fight, now there's a million pounds on the table to boost his pension fund.'

Three women judges have been appointed for a world heavyweight title fight for the first time. The Americans Patricia Jarman, Sheila Harmon-Martin and Eugenia Williams will decide on a verdict if Riddick Bowe's defence against Jesse Ferguson goes the distance in Washington DC on Saturday.