Holyfield and Lewis deal signed

Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield will fight again for the undisputed world heavyweight title in September at a venue yet to be decided.

Briton Lewis and American Holyfield drew in a controversial unification fight at New York's Madison Square Garden nine days ago.

The decision was widely derided on both sides of the Atlantic after most observers concluded World Boxing Council champion Lewis had out-pointed World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation holder Holyfield.

Lewis would have been the first British heavyweight to win an undisputed title this century.

US boxing promoter Don King told Fox News television that a rematch was the only way to settle the controversy. "I've signed both fighters for this rematch" he said.

"Holyfield wants to fight in September and Lewis wants to fight in September, so we're going to see if we can work it out for September. We don't know when and where right now, I will go to work on that."

Lewis's manager Frank Maloney confirmed the fight would go ahead. "Evander has signed for a rematch because it's the only fight out there," he told Sky News. "So it's all systems go."

The bout was declared a draw after American judge Eugenia Williams scored it 115-113 in favour of Holyfield, South Africa's Stanley Christoudoulou ruled 116-113 for Lewis and Briton Larry O'Connell recorded a 115115 draw.

A New York grand jury is investigating whether or not the judges took illegal payments, according to investigative sources.

Meanwhile, the American judge Williams, at the centre of the controversy, was sacked by the British-based World Boxing Union almost a year before, it was claimed yesterday.

Jon Robinson, president of the WBU organisation in Norfolk, has revealed that Williams was removed from his judges panel for being "a loner" last spring.

But he stressed that the WBU had no problems with Williams' scoring and confirmed that on the last two occasions she worked for the body she was in accord with her two colleagues.

"We have got rid of about 30 judges and she was one of them," he said.