Kali takes centre stage in The Garden. Seven heavies, and Don, are all ears. Match the faces to Posters

Kali Meehan left his seat at one end of the Eight Heavyweights and made his way to the centre spot.
"I am happy to be here," spoke the contender from Australasia.
"It is an honour to be selected to fight the former world champion who once knocked out Lennox Lewis."

Kali Meehan's modesty at the microphone impressed the boxing writers gathered from North and South America at the press conference in Madison Square Garden, New York City.

Blow-up posters on the wall. Holyfield,  Donald,  Rahman,  Meehan.

His opponent to be, Hasim Rahman had already paid Kali courtesy. In the New York hotel, Hasim stopped by Kali's dinner table, and greeted him affably: "You're the champ!"

Hasim meant WBO heavyweight champ. He reckoned Kali deserved the decision that instead went to Lamon Brewster in Vegas, 4 September.

Don King has his say. Kali [they pronounce him Calley instead of Karli], "Kali had to be rewarded with another chance at the championship. He fought such an excellent fight with Lamon."

After the official doings, admirers from Nicaragua and Puerto Rica crowded round the lofty Meehan. They plucked at his sleeve and patted his back and exclaimed: "Mee-han. You are the man!"

The Garden is the stage on 13 November of the Struggle for Supremacy, a series of 12-rounders, when Meehan meets Hasim Rahman, John Ruiz defends the WBA title against Andrew Golota, Chris Byrd defends the IBF title against Jameel McCline and ex-universal champ Evander Holyfield makes his last stand against Larry Donald.

Blow-up posters. WBA champ, Ruiz.   Golota.  IBF champ, Byrd.   McCline.

Four of them will advance in 2005, until there are two, and then one.
Don King's creative people tagged this the Struggle for Supremacy. In an even line of heavyweights, our southern hemisphere candidate in with a chance to emerge as the sports king of the world.

For sporting conduct, Kali already stands high.

# Meehan and his guardians, Uncle Ted Allen and Magic Mark Janssen, are presently re-crossing the Pacific, coming back to take up a month's training in Sydney.

The three musketeers arrive Qantas 7.20am . . . soon after Daily at Dawn