WORLD heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has been urged to say a last goodbye to the boxing world by handing Vitali Klitschko a rematch.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman has warned Lewis that if he does not announce his intention to fight Klitschko before March 1 he will be stripped of his title.

It is an action Sulaiman would prefer not to take, given the 38-year-old Briton is by far the biggest draw left in the ailing heavyweight division.

But after just one fight in the last 19 months - a bloody battle in June which Lewis was losing until Klitschko was stopped with deep cuts on his face - the speculation is rising that the Canadian-raised fighter is about to announce his retirement from the ring.

Lewis has already pulled out of a second meeting with the Ukrainian once - but Sulaiman is hoping the champion is having a rethink.

"If Lennox doesn't want to fight this is the time for him to close the door and let others come in," Sulaiman told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme.

"I hope he will make a final appearance to confirm his greatness and say goodbye to his supporters.

"At this moment, I don't believe even Lennox Lewis knows what he is going to do - and we are having to push him for a decision.

"He has been a great champion, but the world has to continue moving. We have had heroes before - and most times people think when they retire boxing will suffer, but we just get new ones instead." Tweet