Lennox Lewis as good as admitted that the clamour for him to come back and reclaim his bloody kingdom was becoming irresistible as Vitali Klitschko won the world heavyweight boxing title in Los Angeles.
"The temptation is there," said Lewis after his own nomination for the succession to the World Boxing Council title, South African slugger Corrie Sanders, was battered to a standstill in the third minute of the eighth round. "It's always there."
The financial lure to Lewis of a rematch with Klitschko, the British ringmaster's last, lacerated victim before he declared retirement, ticked towards $25-million in the hours after this stop-start battle for the championship which he now concedes he vacated in haste.
That was the magic number floating in the night air as I put it to Lewis that he alone of the world's heavyweights can relieve Klitschko of his hard-won crown.
Some of that talking was done in the dressing room at the Staples Centre when Lewis went to congratulate Klitschko, who had achieved the target he has pursued from Ukraine, across Russia and Germany and all the way to southern California.
No other opponent could compensate Klitschko so generously.
His purse here was little more than $1-million and his adviser, Bernd Boente, said: "The rematch with Lennox would be fantastic. The money? Enormous."
Their mutual paymaster, HBO cable television's Kerry Davis, said: "I cannot begin to speculate on what that fight would be worth, but it is the biggest out there."
The long dance of negotiations began as Klitschko told Lewis: "You are a big gentleman and absolute champion but when I was cut 10 months ago you promised me a rematch. So I was upset when you suddenly retired. I challenge you to make your comeback."
Lewis had no doubt about the outcome.
He said: "If I train correctly next time I will take him out easy."
It was hard to disagree. Sanders, a 38-year-old near-scratch golfer with designs on turning professional on the PGA Tour, came for his last hurrah in the prize ring carrying some surplus weight and clearly was hoping to win the fight with one huge left hook.
He landed one early in the first round but when Klitschko slumped to the canvas, referee Jon Schorle ruled he had slipped.
However, Klitschko demonstrated a more resilient chin than his brother Vladimir, who was knocked out by Sanders in 2003.
Vitali survived another scare in the third but let Sanders off the hook in the sixth.
But in the eighth he launched a two-fisted assault and Schorle stopped the contest with 14 seconds of the round remaining.
Lewis enjoyed what he called "a fun night as a fan", especially when Sanders shook Klitschko in the first.
He said: "If Corrie could have landed another left hand it would have been interesting. I was so excited that when I jumped up on to my seat I caught myself with my right hand and nearly knocked myself out."
At that he winked and grinned. Had we got the message?
Come November in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York - or early next year at the latest - let battle recommence.
http://www.iol.co.za
"The temptation is there," said Lewis after his own nomination for the succession to the World Boxing Council title, South African slugger Corrie Sanders, was battered to a standstill in the third minute of the eighth round. "It's always there."
The financial lure to Lewis of a rematch with Klitschko, the British ringmaster's last, lacerated victim before he declared retirement, ticked towards $25-million in the hours after this stop-start battle for the championship which he now concedes he vacated in haste.
That was the magic number floating in the night air as I put it to Lewis that he alone of the world's heavyweights can relieve Klitschko of his hard-won crown.
Some of that talking was done in the dressing room at the Staples Centre when Lewis went to congratulate Klitschko, who had achieved the target he has pursued from Ukraine, across Russia and Germany and all the way to southern California.
No other opponent could compensate Klitschko so generously.
His purse here was little more than $1-million and his adviser, Bernd Boente, said: "The rematch with Lennox would be fantastic. The money? Enormous."
Their mutual paymaster, HBO cable television's Kerry Davis, said: "I cannot begin to speculate on what that fight would be worth, but it is the biggest out there."
The long dance of negotiations began as Klitschko told Lewis: "You are a big gentleman and absolute champion but when I was cut 10 months ago you promised me a rematch. So I was upset when you suddenly retired. I challenge you to make your comeback."
Lewis had no doubt about the outcome.
He said: "If I train correctly next time I will take him out easy."
It was hard to disagree. Sanders, a 38-year-old near-scratch golfer with designs on turning professional on the PGA Tour, came for his last hurrah in the prize ring carrying some surplus weight and clearly was hoping to win the fight with one huge left hook.
He landed one early in the first round but when Klitschko slumped to the canvas, referee Jon Schorle ruled he had slipped.
However, Klitschko demonstrated a more resilient chin than his brother Vladimir, who was knocked out by Sanders in 2003.
Vitali survived another scare in the third but let Sanders off the hook in the sixth.
But in the eighth he launched a two-fisted assault and Schorle stopped the contest with 14 seconds of the round remaining.
Lewis enjoyed what he called "a fun night as a fan", especially when Sanders shook Klitschko in the first.
He said: "If Corrie could have landed another left hand it would have been interesting. I was so excited that when I jumped up on to my seat I caught myself with my right hand and nearly knocked myself out."
At that he winked and grinned. Had we got the message?
Come November in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York - or early next year at the latest - let battle recommence.
http://www.iol.co.za
