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COPYRIGHT 2003 Las Vegas Review-Journal
BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has long said it's his goal to regain the undisputed title before he retires.
But he left a promoter with whom he made more than $123 million in 11 bouts to fight the reigning cruiserweight champion, who was to have fought the middleweight champion, who would prefer a shot at the super welterweight champion.
But the super welterweight has a date against the former welterweight king and is eyeing a bout against another former welterweight champ, who looks like a cruiserweight but insists he's retired.
Confused? Thought so.
But wait, there's more.
Though Holyfield has signed to face cruiserweight champion James Toney on Oct. 4 on Showtime Pay-Per-View, a rival promoter claims the economics of the fight are out of whack and the bout will not happen.
So that promoter is going forward with plans for an HBO Pay-Per-View card on the same night featuring a featherweight champion who would prefer to be facing the man widely regarded as the world's best featherweight.
Meanwhile, the recognized heavyweight champion isn't sure who -- or if -- he'll fight again, which is keeping a half-dozen fighters in limbo.
Welcome to the wild world of professional boxing, where anything can happen, usually does and probably will.
"Completely crazy, some of the stuff that goes on," said cruiserweight champion James Toney, who saw a potential big-money fight against middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins fall apart over Hopkins' refusal to take a cut in pay. "Me, I just want to kick some (butt). I want to fight the best guys who want to fight. Right now that's Holyfield, so we're going to get it on."
As recently as three months ago, it seemed the second half of 2003 would be a fight fan's bonanza. Super welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya had already signed to face former welterweight champion Shane Mosley on Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand.
While that fight is still on, few others that seemed like...
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