NEW YORK -- Evander Holyfield will have to wait a little longer and, perhaps, forever, before the fight crowd supports his contention that he belongs in the same elite class as Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis as an all-time heavyweight champion.
Looking every bit his 36 years, Holyfield not only failed to make good on his boast of a third-round knockout, but also had to settle for a highly-questionable 12-round draw with Lennox Lewis, who was challenging him for the undisputed heavyweight title.
Clearly, the majority of the record Madison Square Garden crowd of 21,284 believed the British fighter deserved better as Lewis spent most of the night using his superior height, reach and weight to frustrate the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion.
They hooted in protest after hearing judge Jean Williams' vote of 115-113 in favor of Holyfield. Stanley Christodolou supported Lewis, 116-115, but England's Larry O'Conner made a return match inevitable with his 115-115 scorecard.
To hardly anyone's surprise, Lewis resurrected the familiar boxing lament, "I was robbed," and left the ring before commentator Larry Merchant had a chance to interview him.
"He controlled the fight. It wasn't even close," said Emanuel Steward, who trains Lewis and used to train Holyfield. "This is what is killing boxing."
The atmosphere in the packed arena resembled a soccer match, with the estimated 7,000 flag-waving British fans chanting and singing in chorus in support of Lewis, who was born in England but spent most of his youth in Canada.
Lewis was bidding to become the first Brit to win the undisputed heavyweight championship in this century. Of the 12 previous British challengers who had failed only two had gone the distance.
The crowd was as electrically charged as for Frazier-Ali I in this same building 28 years ago, with this one adding international flavor.
Lewis entered the ring first to thunderous applause, looking focused and anxious to end the long wait. Holyfield made a quieter entrance, ignoring Lewis' presence across the ring.
Lewis charged out of his corner at the opening bell, trying to catch Holyfield with a hard combination, but Holyfield would not fold in the fashion of Andrew Golota.
He was content to box and move, measuring his taller foe with overhand rights. A looping left stunned Lewis briefly just before the round ended. Lewis was again the aggressor at the start of the second round, catching Holyfield on the ropes with several chopping rights. The Englishman was fighting with confidence and gaining the judges' attention with his accurate jab.
Holyfield seemed intent on making good on his prediction of a third-round knockout. He nailed Lewis early with two thumping overhand rights and maintained the pressure the rest of the round. A right cross shook Lewis, but he weathered the attack.
In the fourth round, the crowd suddenly rallied behind the American. Both fighters had trouble landing clean shots as the pace slackened. But just as the arena grew quiet, Holyfield scored with a hard combination.
Lewis seemed to be fulfilling trainer Steward's fears by becoming tentative rather than carrying the fight to Holyfield.
The momentum changed suddenly in the fifth when Lewis staggered Holyfield with an overhand right, sending the WBA and IBF champion back against the ropes. He landed several more telling blows, but failed to maintain the offensive in the final minute of the round, letting a big opportunity slip away.
The action picked up considerably in the sixth. Holyfield started the fireworks by landing a left hook that caught Lewis with his hands down. Lewis evened the score with a hard uppercut as Holyfield continued to try to work his way inside against the Englishman's superior reach.
The seventh round began with Holyfield wrestling Lewis to the floor and receiving a warning from the referee.
Just after referee Arthur Mercante separated the pair, Lewis scored with a straight right that visibly shook Holyfield. Lewis picked up more points by catching his foe with a left-right combination.
Lewis continued to outbox Holyfield in the first two minutes of the eighth round, using his bulk to tie him up on the inside. By the end of the round, Lewis' corner had taken on the look of a winner.
Holyfield began applying more pressure in the ninth round, but was beginning to appear frustrated. He scored with four light jabs, but Lewis avoided his right hand. Then Lewis turned boxer, keeping Holyfield at bay with his long left jab.
In the opening seconds of the 10th, Holyfield caught Lewis with a big right hand, but Lewis flashed a grin, indicating to the crowd he was unhurt. Holyfield persevered, scoring with another hard right and left hook as Lewis seemed content to jab and move out of harm's way.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Schedule
Today
At Colorado State Fair Event Center, Pueblo, Colo., Simon Brown, Washington, vs. Mario Iribarren, Cuba, 10, middleweights; Joel Casamayor, Cuba, vs. Russell Stoner Jones, Ghana, 10, junior lightweights; Carlos Martinez, Mexico, vs. Anselmo Felipe, Hialeah, Fla., 8, welterweights.
Friday
At The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia (ESPN2), Demetrius Jenkins, Detroit, vs. Bryant Brannon, Trenton, N.J., 12, for the vacant USBA super middleweight title; Billy Irwin, Niagara Falls, N.Y., vs. Gerald Gray, New York, 10, lightweights.
At Turning Stone Casino and Resort, Verona, N.Y., Hector Camacho, Orlando, Fla., vs. Scotty Smith, Little Rock, Ark., 10, junior middleweights; Carl Daniels, St. Louis, vs. Angel Beltre, Dominican Republic, 10, middleweights.
Pub Date: 3/14/99