OLIVER McCALL was Unable to attend his own news conference in New York yesterday after another run-in with the law, but promoters are betting he will show up for his World Boxing Council title fight with Briton Lennox Lewis.

"Look, he is fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world. He is fighting a guy who he knocked out the last time he fought and he's making $3 million.

"If he doesn't show up, he really should be committed," said Lewis promoter Dino Duva of McCall at a news conference to announce the February 7th bout in Nashville, Tennessee for the vacant WBC crown.

McCall was a no-show for the fight announcement in New York after being arrested in Nashville earlier this week on charges of vandalism, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

He was due to be arraigned today for the incident which began when he threw a Christmas tree in a hotel lobby.

So at the New York Hilton in a room filled with reporters, it was Lewis who asked the question of the hour: "Oliver McCall, where are you?"

"He took a misstep in the alcohol division, by that I mean he took a drink," offered McCall promoter Don King, who joined the proceedings via telephone hookup from Nashville.

"He's okay," insisted King of the fighter who also had a drug arrest earlier this year and has been in and out drug rehabilitation facilities over the last few years.

"He will be there to fight on February 7th and he will knock out Lennox Lewis," King promised.

The 28-6 McCall, who lost the WBC title to Frank Bruno 15 months ago, has not fought anyone but the police since March, when he stopped journeyman James Stanton in the sixth round.

The Nashville fight will be a chance for Lewis to avenge his lone defeat. Lewis, 29-1, lost his WBC crown to McCall when the American stopped him in the second round at Wembley Arena in September 1994.

Lewis's manager, Frank Maloney, suggested that McCall's drinking and arrest was part of his training strategy. "You laugh, but the last time he fought Lennox his first four weeks training he was in rehab before he came across to England" Maloney said. "So he's just doing the same thing again."

Wayne McCullough is set to take ITV to court, claiming he has been let down by them. McCullough and his manager Mat Tinley are fuming over repeated cancellations of the final contest in a three-fight deal with ITV worth around $1 million.

ITV, who claim there is no case to answer, say they will challenge any court action.

McCullough is due to challenge Mexico's WBC super-bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza in Boston on January 11th, a fight which ITV will not be showing their contract finishes at the end of the month.

American TV executive Tinley accused ITV of "screwing up the last six months of Wayne's career" and said he will file the law suit in California this week.

"In the middle of last month, they said they wanted Wayne's world title fight with Zaragoza in the middle of September, which was simply not feasible as both fighters could not be ready for a fight of this magnitude," he said.

"So they have refused to show the fight next month.