Tyson's Return Won't Affect Holyfield-Lewis Fight, Says Maloney

Lennox Lewis' manager, Frank Maloney, has asserted that Mike Tyson's recent reinstatement of his boxing licence will not impact the upcoming heavyweight unification fight between Evander Holyfield and Lewis. As Tyson had his licence returned on Monday, 16 months after it was stripped for biting Holyfield's ear, many anticipated a lucrative rematch. However, Maloney claims that the Lewis-Holyfield fight will proceed as planned, with the date to be announced this week. Holyfield, the WBA and IBF champion, signed the contract last week and is set to earn £13million, while WBC champion Lewis could get £5million.

Key Takeaways:

Frank Maloney insists Mike Tyson's return to the ring will not affect the heavyweight unification fight between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
The Lewis-Holyfield fight will go ahead as planned, with the date to be announced this week.
Evander Holyfield, the WBA and IBF champion, will earn £13million for the fight, while WBC champion Lennox Lewis could get £5million.
Holyfield signed the contract last week, while Lewis has been preparing for a unification bout.
Frank Maloney expects Tyson to have two warm-up bouts before being ready to fight the winner of Holyfield-Lewis.
Joe Bugner, a 48-year-old World Boxing Federation title-holder, has expressed interest in fighting Tyson after his recent reinstatement.
Bugner believes he is a big-enough draw in Australia to attract Tyson and secure satellite coverage for the fight.

Statistics:

£13million: the amount Evander Holyfield is set to earn for the fight.
£5million: the amount Lennox Lewis could get for the fight.
16 months: the length of time Mike Tyson has been without a boxing licence.
2 warm-up bouts: Frank Maloney expects Tyson to have before being ready to fight the winner of Holyfield-Lewis.

Sources:

"Tyson returns, but Holyfield-Lewis stays on", The Sun
"Maloney dismisses Tyson threat", Observer Sports Monthly
"Bugner keen to face Tyson", Sydney Morning Herald