Foreman-Holmes Not Dead Yet

Don’t blow out the candles on the Birthday Bash just yet.

The George Foreman-Larry Holmes heavyweight fight scheduled for the Houston Astrodome on Jan. 23, considered dead a few days ago, has been given possible new life with a promise by promoter Roger Levitt that a money guarantee will arrive today.

Levitt, who has already paid Foreman $1 million and Holmes $400,000, failed to meet a deadline of last Thursday for supplying letters of credit to guarantee Foreman the remaining $9 million of his purse and Holmes his remaining $3.6 million.

When Levitt missed another deadline a few days later, several of those close to the fight felt it would never happen and will remain skeptical until Levitt delivers.

“The fight is very much alive,” Levitt said. “I’ve been working with George Foreman’s lawyers to put together a final draft of the letter of credit. Mr. Foreman has graciously given me extra time because he wants this fight to happen.”

That was confirmed by Foreman’s attorneys, Henry Holmes and Steve Katleman.

“We are optimistic that the fight is going to go forward,” Henry Holmes said. “Am I concerned? When the money is in George’s wallet and my client has KO’d Larry Holmes, then I will not be concerned.”

The fight has been dubbed the Birthday Bash because it is geared to Foreman’s 50th birthday, which is Jan. 10. Larry Holmes is 49.