Lennox Lewis looking to fight Tyson

LONDON -- Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is looking at a July 21 date to fight former champ Mike Tyson but has yet to open negotiations with Tyson's camp.

Adrian Ogun, Lewis' business manager, said Sunday on BBC Radio Five Live that he needed to sit down with Tyson's adviser, Shelly Finkel, to discuss the possibility of a meeting, which could be worth a record $100 million.

''We are ready to start negotiations for a summer date and July 21 is the date we are looking at,'' Ogun said. ''The only problem we've really had is getting Shelly to sit down and talk seriously about this fight.

''I think he is in the mood to do this because the indications I've had from Mike and people close to him is that he's frustrated that Shelly hasn't entered into negotiations earlier.''

There was no immediate response from Finkel. A phone message left for him by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

The biggest problem standing in the way of the fight is that the two fighters are under contract to different TV companies in the United States -- Lewis with HBO and Tyson with Showtime.

Lewis is due to defend his WBC and IBF titles against Hasim Rahman April 21 although a venue is yet to be decided. It could be Las Vegas, Monaco or Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tyson has won his last three comeback fights but is serving a three-month suspension of his Michigan license for refusing to submit to a urine test before his Oct. 20 fight against Andrew Golota. That suspension is being honored by other sanctioning bodies, including the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

BASEBALL
Rafael Palmeiro homered on seven straight swings and held on to beat Jose Canseco 10-9 Sunday to win a rematch in the 2001 Big League Challenge. Canseco beat Palmeiro 28-15 last year in the first home-run derby at Cashman Field, home of Las Vegas' Triple-A team. Palmeiro put together his homer streak in the third inning of the seven-inning contest. Canseco needed just one home run in his final at-bat to tie the Texas Rangers star, but came up short. Canseco recently signed with the Anaheim Angels. Palmeiro defeated New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza 12-8 in the semifinals. Canseco defeated Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton 14-8 to reach the final. On Saturday, Palmeiro defeated Troy Glaus of the Angels 14-8. Canseco held off Gary Sheffield of the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-9. Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Frank Thomas, Jim Edmonds, Richard Hidalgo and Steve Finley also took part. Proceeds from the two-day event, organized by the major league players' association will benefit the union's Trust for Children.

HOCKEY
Alexander Karpovtsev of the Chicago Blackhawks was suspended for two games by the NHL yesterday for an elbow that bloodied Matt Bradley of San Jose. The Chicago defenseman hit Bradley during the third period of a 3-2 loss Saturday. Bradley crumpled to the ice before skating off with a blood-covered jersey. His nose bled profusely but wasn't broken. Karpovtsev received a five-minute major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct. Based on his salary, Karpovtsev will lose $29,411. The money goes to an emergency assistance fund for players.

HORSE RACING
Spain pulled away from rival Chilukki down the stretch to win the $200,000 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies at Santa Anita yesterday. Spain, with Victor Espinoza aboard, ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 3-5 and paid $5.20, $2.40 and $2.10. Chilukki, the 9-10 favorite, paid $2.40 and $2.10. Letter of Intent paid $2.10 to show. Spain, a daughter of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, won two of the three legs of the La Canada series for 4-year-old fillies. She won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in December, but finished second to Chilukki in the Grade 2 El Encino Stakes last month. The rubber match Sunday paid $120,000 to the winner, whose earnings are now more than $2.2 million. ''I had a very good trip for this race,'' Espinoza said. ''I didn't have to worry about when I moved. I knew I had plenty of horse today.''

The next start for Spain may be the $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap on March 10.

OFF THE FIELD
A Penn State football player who severely injured his spine during a game says he can walk without a cane, write his name and may soon be able to drive again. Adam Taliaferro said he is about 85 percent recovered and plans to return to Penn State for summer school. ''The first few weeks were very difficult because I didn't know if I would ever be able to walk,'' the 19-year-old player said in a first-person story for The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday. ''Then my left toe started to flicker one day, and it was at that point that I felt I could come back.'' Taliaferro, a freshman, was injured making a headfirst tackle against Ohio State on Sept. 23. His head connected with the knee of running back Jerry Westbrooks, causing Taliaferro's neck to snap backward. Taliaferro said he doesn't remember the hit, but he remembers the start of the play and then waking up on the ground. ''I never thought of being paralyzed, but my whole body was numb,'' he said. ''There wasn't any pain at that point. My neck didn't hurt. It was total numbness, the weirdest feeling I ever had.'' Taliaferro left a Philadelphia hospital on crutches Jan. 5. Since then, his physical therapy sessions have been gradually reduced from longer than four hours a day. Next week, his sessions will be cut to two hours daily, and he plans to begin lifting weights. He still walks with a cane but during therapy can walk unaided. His doctors plan to schedule a driving test so he can resume driving. ''The only thing is that my right hand is tight, but it's starting to open up more each week. I even can write my name now,'' he said. He has received an outpouring of support. He was given tickets to Wednesday night's 76ers-Lakers game by forward Tyrone Hill and has received letters from actor Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed in a riding accident in 1995. ''For somebody like that to take the time to write to me is unbelievable. He just wrote me a second letter to say that he wants to meet me,'' Taliaferro said. ''He's a star and he wants to meet me. Can you imagine that?''

TENNIS
France's Amelie Mauresmo finally won a title in her home country. ''It's been quite a while that I've wanted to win in France,'' Mauresmo said after beating Anke Huber of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-1 to win the $565,000 Gaz de France tournament Sunday. The victory gave the 21-year-old Mauresmo her third WTA title, her first in France. The No. 8 seed and world No. 19 reached the Gaz de France final in 1999, losing to Serena Williams. Mauresmo and Huber exchanged breaks to reach 4-4 in the first set, then games went with serve until the tie-breaker. Mauresmo broke Huber's serve in the opening game of the second set, then while leading 2-1, she reeled off the next four games. Huber, the sixth seed and the world No. 16, was playing her first tournament since dropping out of last year's U.S. Open with a sprained right wrist. ''I'm just happy to play again,'' Huber said. She said Saturday that the injury nearly forced her to retire from tennis. ''It was very tough to play her here today,'' Huber said. The defeat was Huber's second in the final of the Gaz de France. She lost to Martina Hingis in three sets in 1997.