Frank Warren, who wants his World Boxing Organisation heavyweight champion Herbie Hide given a shot at Lennox Lewis's World Boxing Council title, has been told that, to make the all-British fight attractive to the United States, Prince Naseem Hamed would have to defend his featherweight title against Paul Ingle, the new European champion, on the same night.

That is the only "one-for-one bargain" that Frank Maloney, who manages Lewis and Ingle, would consider from Warren, who promotes Hamed. Maloney believes that a Lewis-Hide fight would interest Home Box Office if Hamed and Ingle formed part of the package.

Lewis's promoter Panos Eliades backed the proposal. "We would let him fight if we could package it together with the other fight," he said, although he poured scorn on Hide's credentials as a challenger for Lewis's title.

Warren had no such doubts. "We want Lennox now. We want to find out who is the best fighter in Britain, let alone the world."

Maloney said of the featherweights: "I think Ingle would stop Hamed because of his style and the pressure he would put on."