Bid To Ban Promoter Could End Leonard’s February Comeback

Plans for Sugar Ray Leonard’s comeback bout at Atlantic City, N.J., unraveled Thursday when regulators sought to bar his promoter, and the fight’s casino and television sponsors pulled out.

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission is being asked to ban New Contenders Inc. from promoting the Feb. 28 fight with Hector Camacho.

The state Division of Gaming Enforcement told the casino commission late Wednesday that New Contenders should be barred from doing business with casinos because of links to the Gambino crime family.

If the commission agrees, the bout would almost certainly have to be canceled. It probably will be anyway.

Oliver McCall, scheduled to fight Lennox Lewis in February for the vacant WBC heavyweight title, has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance and was sentence to 18 months probation. McCall was charged in Chicago on July 26 with possession of marijuana and cocaine.