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| Friday, May 9 Lewis must be notified if King settles with Tyson Associated Press |
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NEW YORK -- Lennox Lewis got a court order Friday that keeps Mike Tyson and promoter Don King from settling any money disputes without telling Lewis in advance.
The same temporary restraining order, obtained by Lewis' lawyer Judd Burstein, also directs television networks Showtime and HBO to withhold all money due to King in connection with his sponsorship of past fights.
Tyson, meanwhile, said King owes him $100 million, Burstein said. The lawyer said he will ask on May 19 for an order of attachment on anything that King pays to settle with Tyson, and on anything the television networks owe King.
Lewis' lawyers filed a $385 million lawsuit against Tyson and King on Thursday after Tyson backed out of a rematch against Lewis, Burstein said. Lewis knocked out Tyson in the eighth round of June 8, 2002, in Memphis.
"Burstein apparently doesn't believe Lewis is a stand-alone attraction,'' said King's lawyer, Peter Fleming. "That seems to be why he wants a rematch with Tyson even though Lewis won.''
Fleming said Tyson was not represented at Friday's hearing.
Papers filed in Manhattan's State Supreme Court accuse Tyson of breach of contract, saying he failed to fulfill the terms of a deal between him and Lewis. They charge King with interfering with Lewis' "prospective economic advantage'' in dealing with Tyson.
The lawsuit says King cost Lewis $10 million by keeping Tyson off a June 21 fight card as the "co-main event'' in Los Angeles, and another $25 million by stopping Tyson from signing for an eventual rematch between the two fighters.
Court papers say the same deal that would let Tyson fight in a co-main event match on the June 21 card would have allowed him to fight two more bouts after that -- with Lewis getting a piece of the purses -- and then meet Lewis in a rematch.
Lawyers for Lewis said Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, and his attorney had agreed to the contract, but that Tyson refused to sign it once King started pursuing him. |
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