Lewis set for Eliades fight
Lennox Lewis faces a legal fight with his former promoter Panos Eliades ahead of his title bout with Hasim Rahman in Johannesburg. Team Lewis were quick to respond to claims from Eliades that he is owed millions of dollars by the British boxer.
In a statement, they asserted Eliades would have no role in any future Lewis bouts.
They have also lodged a complaint with the British Boxing Board of Control alleging misconduct by Eliades arising from a breach of the board's rules.
"Panos Eliades has no right to hold himself out as promoting any future Lennox Lewis bouts or representing Lennox Lewis in any capacity whatsoever," said a statement from Lewis's camp.
But the promoter is determined to hang on to what he believes is rightfully his, and has made it clear he will not be going quietly.
"They cannot sack me. They are trying to get rid of me but they cannot sack me," said Eliades."When a man gets to the top money and power do funny things. Lennox feels he is in a position where he wants to manage and promote and doctor and do everything. He wants to do it all himself. I am under contract with them, so it is going to be a problem. It looks as if it is going legal. I gave him the crown and he has taken my head."
He continued, "Lennox has changed. He is not the man that you think he is. He is a difficult man. When he does not get his own way he does not like it, and I do not want to be associated with the type of man he has turned out to be. It is a shame."
Eliades' major gripe is that he is badly out of pocket after more than a decade of graft.
"I need to be rewarded for my hard work - 11 years of hard work. In 10 of those you break even, so just when you are about to make some money they don't want you any more. I am owed £1.7m at this moment in time. That is just what he owes me from the Frans Botha and Tua fights. I have not been paid for Tua yet. They have stopped my money for Tua."
However, Eliades says he will not accept the money outstanding as a final settlement because Lewis clearly has much more earning potential.
"If he fights Rahman and goes on to fight (Mike) Tyson I could receive substantial sums." he said. "Lewis has surrounded himself with 'yes men' who will not answer back and I have always told him how it is. I would think if he paid me $10m today I would walk away from him. But he will not pay me 10 cents. Lennox is not the type of man who wants to pay anything to anybody."