Foreman Only Has E For Tyson

Hardly the avuncular Uncle George who captivated the boxing world by winning a heavyweight title at age 46, George Foreman is now suing to get out of his mandated rematch with Axel Schulz, who nearly stole the crown two months ago.

And besides being insulted that Schulz isn’t grateful to the champion for giving the German a chance in the first place, Foreman said he wants to go out big against only one man: Mike Tyson. Tyson’s forward-marching style is made to order for him, Foreman believes.

“I’d like one more fight where I don’t have to chase anybody,” Foreman said. “Who gives me that opportunity? One guy on the planet who’ll stand up to me right now - that’s Mike Tyson. I’m too big to run and he’s been out too long to go 12 rounds.”

But first, there is this Schulz business.

“I whipped him,” Foreman said of the controversial majority decision. “Controversy? Every fight has controversy.”

Foreman was in Las Vegas, Nev., Saturday night as his role as HBO analyst for the Riddick Bowe-Jorge Luis Gonzalez World Boxing Organization title fight. But Foreman is generally considered the prevailing champion, thanks to his ownership of the International Boxing Federation crown. It is the one that goes back to the days of Muhammad Ali, and beyond.

The IBF, though, has ruled that because Schulz gave Foreman such a close fight, he is the only opponent it would sanction. If Foreman refuses to meet him by October, the group said, it would strip him of the crown and create a title match between Schulz and Frans Botha of South Africa. Thus, the Foreman lawsuit.

Punch lines

Against his better judgment, Roy Jones Jr. will defend his IBF super-middleweight title against Vinny Pazienza Saturday. “I’m in a no-win situation,” Jones said. Junior, who can make a case for being the greatest fighter in the world, has been worn down by the Pazmanian Devil’s excessive, incessant threats and taunts.