Golota Ok, Lewis Just Great After Bout

Lennox Lewis’ punching power has never been questioned. His desire has been.

Demonstrating both, Lewis stopped Andrew Golota in 95 seconds Saturday night and sent Golota to the hospital.

Golota looked fine after the fight as he stood in his corner, shaking his head in disgust. Minutes later, he collapsed in his dressing room and was taken to Atlantic City Medical Center. Co-trainer Lou Duva said he thought his fighter had a seizure or anxiety attack.

Atlantic City Medical Center did not release a diagnosis. But Golota, described as awake and alert after passing a CAT scan, was released Sunday morning.

Lewis, the 32-year-old WBC heavyweight champion from Britain, sought recognition in the United States as a top fighter. And he certainly impressed with his performance before a crowd of 13,889 at the Convention Center and a nationwide pay-per-view audience.

“I wanted to go out and make my statement to the world and prove I’m the best heavyweight champion on the planet,” Lewis said.

He also wants to unify the championship by winning the WBA and IBF titles. It looks as if he will get the chance.

“Lennox Lewis is still on a mission,” he said.

Promoter Dino Duva said he believes Lewis will fight the winner of a Nov. 8 match at Las Vegas between WBA champion Evander Holyfield and IBF champion Michael Moorer.

Lewis and Moorer are tied to Duva’s Main Events while Holyfield has a deal with promoter Don King, but Duva doesn’t think that will be a stumbling block.

However, there is an obstacle. The IBF champion is due to make a mandatory defense against No. 1-ranked Vaughn Bean, even though Moorer has successfully defended against Bean, and the WBA champion owes a mandatory defense against Orlin Norris.

But Duva thinks the two governing bodies will allow a unification match.

It was all Lewis Saturday night as he knocked down Golota twice, first with a series of combinations then with a barrage of punches to the head climaxed by three rights.

Golota got up at the count of seven, obviously hurt, after the first knockdown. After the second knockdown, referee Joe Cortez started to count, then signaled the fight was finished.

“I knew what my game plan was,” Lewis said. “I just wanted to go in there and take care of things. I didn’t want to give him a chance to fight dirty.”

Golota, who once bit an opponent and butted another, was disqualified in his two previous fights, both against Riddick Bowe, for repeated low blows.

Against Lewis, Golota was credited with throwing only 10 punches and landing only two.

“I don’t know what happened,” Golota said. “I just got caught. What could I do? It was an accident.

As to the attention on his foul tactics, Golota said: “There was too much pressure. I was nervous. People talk about it too much, but I can’t make anyone guilty because I lost the fight.”