Lewis explodes after gay slur

Britain's Lennox Lewis and heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman managed to have a very entertaining boxing match with none of the usual trappings of a big fight. There was no vast stadium, no hyped-up crowd and best of all, no macho signature tune such as Eye Of The Tiger to herald their arrival in the ring. The two fought for real in a television studio in Anaheim, California, after Lewis questioned "Rock" Rahman over a "gay slur".

Minutes into the TV show, which is part of a pre-fight publicity tour, the two were sitting side-by-side when Lewis said Rahman crossed the line when he questioned his sexuality on an earlier radio show.

"Why are you starting with that gay stuff ?" Lewis asked. Rahman claimed the "gay" comment was a reference to the legal battle fought between the two camps after Lewis' shock defeat in April by the American.

"I said what you did was gay," Rahman said. "I said it was gay to take it to the court."

Lewis replied: "I'm 100 per cent a woman's man. If he has worries about that bring your sister, bring anyone." After Lewis mentioned Rahman's sister, the WBC-IBF champion said: "Do not say nothing about my family. Be careful what you say to me."

Both fighters squared off for eight seconds of face-to-face taunting. Host of ESPN's Up Close show Gary Miller tried to intervene, saying: "We don't want that" but was powerless as the two men wrestled. As members of both their entourages flooded the stage, Rahman had manoeuvred Lewis to the interview desk, which smashed under the weight of Lewis's body.

After being prised apart, Lewis pushed off the men holding him and ran towards Rahman again before being pulled back from the confrontation. The audience watching the show being taped stood on seats and watched while television workers attempted to move broken glass and stools out of harm's way.

Later, Rahman's co-manager Stan Hoffman said: "Rock made a reference to Lennox acting in a gay manner. Obviously, he didn't mean Lennox was gay."