Hbo Plans Fight Tourney

HBO Sports, making a second effort within 10 years to produce a universally acknowledged world champion, is negotiating with eight heavyweights for a boxing tournament to start in October.

The cable television network, which lost out to rival Showtime in the bidding for ex-champ Mike Tyson’s comeback, would bring together Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Evander Holyfield, Herbie Hide, Ray Mercer and Tommy Morrison.

All are current or former champions of the WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO and none is under contract to promoter Don King.

“If the Don King heavyweights - Mike Tyson, Oliver McCall - want to come into it, they are welcome,” said Seth Abraham, head of HBO Sports. “But they won’t, because Don King won’t let them.”