London, Dec. 17 : Boxer Lennox Lewis has offered to come out of retirement and be David Haye's sparring partner for his crack at the world heavyweight title.

According to The Sun, the former undisputed champion made his offer after a deal was reached for Haye to fight WBC king Vitali Klitschko in June.

Arsenal's Emirates Stadium has emerged as one of the front-runners to stage the London showdown.

Haye's manager Adam Booth confirmed the Lewis connection.

"Lennox was in Germany to commentate for American TV station HBO when Vitali's brother Wladimir Klitschko beat Hasim Rahman at the weekend. He seems to have really taken to David and wants to do all he can to help him land the heavyweight title."

New Delhi, Dec 16 : Indian pugilists Jitender Kumar, Akhil Kumar, A. L. Lakra and Dinesh Kumar received a warm welcome at the Indira Gandhi International Airport
(IGI) today on their return from Moscow where they clinched bronze medals at the Boxing World Cup.

The four boxers were hailed by the fans who had gathered at the airport to welcome them with flowers and music.

Boxer Akhil Kumar who had missed bronze at Beijing Olympics seemed extremely pleased with his performance at the Moscow World Cup.

Mannheim, Germany  - Wladimir Klitschko used his height and reach advantage to score a seventh-round technical knockout of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.

The referee ended the bout as Klitschko had the smaller Rahman trapped in a corner, as the Ukrainian-born IBF and WBO heavyweight title holder delivered brutal combinations to the US fighter.

After completing his sixth title defence, Klitschko, 32, is now 52-3.

Manila  - The Philippines on Sunday hailed the stunning victory of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya, who gave up after the eighth round for their "Dream Match."

Filipinos watching the fight all over the country erupted in celebration De La Hoya's corner threw in the towel before the start of the ninth round.

De La Hoya's left eye was closed shut after the eighth round, prompting the ring doctor, referee and his cornermen to decide that he had enough.

"You're still my idol," Pacquiao told De La Hoya after the fight in Las Vegas.

"No, you're my idol," De La Hoya said.

Hamburg  - Ukrainian heavyweight Vitali Klitsch

Hamburg - Ukraine heavyweight Vitali Klitschko has been ordered to make a mandatory defence of his World Boxing Council (WBC) title against the German-based Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez.

The WBC agreed at its 46th general assembly in Chengdu, China Thursday that should the promoters of both boxers fail to agree on a fight, the bout would be open to purse bids on December 19 at the WBC's headquarters Mexico City.

Klitschko, 37, returned to the ring after a four-year absence to reclaim the WBC belt last month by beating Samuel Peter in a one-sided fight in which the Nigerian retired after the eighth round.