FRANK MALONEY, Lennox Lewis's manager, yesterday ruled out a rematch with dethroned WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno.

Maloney said: "Bruno has had his chance. I would say for Lennox Lewis to consider fighting Frank Bruno is a backward step.

"Unless the money is so good that he could not refuse it, I can't see him wanting to take that fight again, knowing how it ended last time and seeing the sort of performance Bruno put up at the weekend. Bruno has nowhere to go now in the heavyweight division."

Bruno, who was stopped by Lewis in the seventh round in Cardiff in 1993, has been urged to quit boxing after being demolished in 410 seconds by Tyson, but he is reported to be undecided on his future.

"My dream has always been to retire from boxing in front of a home crowd - a winner rather than a loser," he is quoted as saying in yesterday's Sign. "There are many things to consider. But any report that I have quit is pure fiction. I have no concrete plans."

Bruno said that American promoter Don King had offered to set up another world heavyweight title fight. "King's offer is a serious one and I will be giving it a lot of thought. It would be one of the other versions of the title," he explained.

An American judge has ordered Tyson to give Lewis the next WBC challenge, and Tyson has talked of his desire to fight in Britain, which he has described as "my second home".

Meanwhile, Bruno has been offered an immediate chance to fight for a title - by British heavyweight champion Scott Welch. Welch, who defeated challenger Joe Bugner in six rounds at the weekend, said: "I am handing Frank a marvellous opportunity to say goodbye to his army of fans by having a shot at my title.

"It will be his chance to bow out on home turf, although it won't be as a winner. I have sparred with Frank in the past and know I would do a similar job on him to the one Tyson did."