Before he fought Razor Ruddock – in 1992 – Frank wandered around London all night, and it was often the same when he fought in other places."As Lewis works to win back his world titles against Rahman on 17 November, the worry must be that his preparations are again beset by distractions. In South Africa Maloney was appalled that Lewis lingered in Las Vegas, on the set of a Julia Roberts film in which he had a cameo role, just two weeks before the fight at altitude. When asked if Lewis could deal with Rahman after such a short period of acclimatisation. Maloney said, pointedly: "We will see when the fight happens."Privately, Maloney echoed the sentiments of much of boxing, and most firmly expressed by New York fight man Don Majeski in the wake of Lewis's shattering fifth-round defeat Said Majeski: "The problem has been hubris. Everyone knows that when you run track in Mexico City you prepare; it's the same deal when you fight in Johannesburg Lennox gave himself 11 days to prepare for this fight Champions do not do things like that. They get their heads – and their bodies – into the challenge."It was a point that Maloney made to a reluctant audience around Lewis when he publicly attacked the work of the trainer Emanuel Steward after the fight and this week the extent of the denial within the camp, and Lewis himself, was confirmed with the sacking of the manager.
Disturbingly, Lewis still insists that the Rahman upset was essentially the result of a "freak punch".Lewis, who says that he will always be friends with Maloney but that there comes a time when everyone has to move on, insists that in his own mind he is still the world heavyweight champion, and that Rahman will pay for his impertinence soon enough. It is a conclusion also reached by the Las Vegas odds-makers, but it is one scarcely strengthened by this week's disruptions.At such times a fighter needs a clear, undistracted head and someone close to him who isn't always willing to say yes. Admirers of Lewis, who have seen his career as a rare achievement of excellence in British sport, can only mourn the fact that in Las Vegas next week his chances of the former are endangered and those of the latter probably disappeared the moment the legal courier headed for the Pocono hills.. England once again failed to lay the Australia bogey to rest in their fourth game in the Champions Trophy here last night when they went down 3-2 in an exciting game played in a continuous downpour.
England once again failed to lay the Australia bogey to rest in their fourth game in the Champions Trophy here last night when they went down 3-2 in an exciting game played in a continuous downpour. Twice coming from behind to equalise and cheered on by the English School from Brussels, England hauled themselves back into the game only to be caught on the break with a fine solo goal from Jeremy Hiskins.After an impressive start, England conceded two soft goals at corners, the first by Mathew Wells and then Troy Elder. In between Jason Collins scored his first international goal. Jimmy Wallis put England on level terms before Hiskins struck. England need a win against Pakistan on Saturday to stay in bronze medal contention.ENGLAND: N Taylor; A Humphrey, J Wyatt (capt), T Bertram, J Evennett; J Goudie, M Johnson, J Wallis; D Hall, D Mathews, M Pearn. Substitutes used: J Collins, D Haydon, M Kochar and B Waugh.AUSTRALIA: M Hickman; M Wells; P Gaudoin (capt), A Hopkins, D Butler; B Taylor, B Livermore, A Commens; M Smith, J Hiskins, C Victory. Substitutes used: J Dwyer, T Elder.Umpires: E Saladino (Arg) & P Elders (Neth).. David Moffett has been confirmed as the new chief executive of Sport England, the latest in a growing list of Australians appointed to high-level jobs in British sports administration.
