The next stop for former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe may be the confines of a federal courtroom rather than the roped borders of the ring.
Lion Heart Promotions, promoter of what would have been several boxing matches on March 25, announced in a press release Friday that it had filed suit in U.S. District Court for Utah against Bowe and others, citing breach of contract and a bevy of additional claims.
A heavyweight fight involving Bowe was to have been the main event at the Delta Center on Friday of last week. But after that announcement that Bowe would be fighting in Utah, Bowe subsequently was listed by another promoter for a fight elsewhere on April 7. The Utah event then was delayed until May.
Now, Lion Heart event coordinator Edward Mendy claims Bowe never intended to come to Utah after he announced the April contest. Mendy also disputes Bowe's claims to reschedule the Utah show for May. "The fight (on April 7), I believe, would take such a toll on Bowe that it would make a commercially viable fight in May impossible."
Mendy said Lion Heart is not seeking monetary compensation, rather an injunction against Bowe from fighting until he fulfills contractual obligations with Lion Heart. The Deseret Morning News left telephone messages on Friday night for Utah boxing commissioner Richard Weinsoft and Bowe manager Jimmy Adams, but the calls were not returned.
Mendy says the show will go on after this, and Lion Heart looks forward to bringing boxing to Utah, with or without Bowe.
E-mail: acole@desnews.com