Don King Productions Announces That Top Heavyweight Contender Akinwande Headlines Star-Studded Heavyweight Card.

TUNICA, Miss.--(BW SportsWire)--Dec. 1, 1999--

Mandatory WBA heavyweight challenger Henry Akinwande (35-1-1, 21 KOs) will tangle with Finland champion Tony Halme (10-4, 8 KOs) in a Don King-promoted event on Saturday, Dec. 18 at The Grand in Tunica, Miss.

Two former heavyweight champions, Oliver McCall (33-7, 24 KOs) and "Merciless" Ray Mercer (25-4-1, 17 KOs) will also make appearances in separate 10-round affairs.

Tickets priced at $50, $35 and $20 are available through Ticketmaster in Memphis [phone]. The Dec. 18 event will also be televised live DIRECTV at 8 p.m. EST.

Akinwande is first in line to challenge fellow Englishman and undisputed world champion Lennox Lewis according to the WBA. Now residing in Florida, Akinwande knocked out Najee Shaheed on May 15 in the ninth round. It was Akinwande's second stoppage since having his title fight against then-WBA/IBF world champion Evander Holyfield scrapped the day before their June 6, 1998 bout when he tested positive for Hepatitis B. Nearly 10 months later, Akinwande, the former WBO champion, was given a clean bill of health and looked sharp in halting Bahamas titlist Reynaldo Minus in the second round.

Halme, from Helsinki, is the WBF and Finnish champion. The 26-year-old is coming off a first round kayo of Ferenc Deak on Nov. 22. He outpointed former two-time world champion Iran Barkley on April 19 to claim WBF/AM heavyweight championship.

Mercer, from Jacksonville, Fla., waged legendary wars against Holyfield and Lewis in 1995 and 1996, respectively, coming up short in 10-round decisions. The former WBO champion and Olympic gold medalist kayoed Leo "The Lion" Loiacono in the second round on Feb. 21, 1998.

Mercer will meet Jason Waller (21-15-3, 13 KOs), a 28-year-old former Virginia State champion who has fought notable heavyweights Jorge Gonzalez, Andrew Golota and Vassiliy Jirov.

McCall, 34, is the only man to have defeated Lewis. Pounding the new undisputed champion with crunching combinations, he knocked him out in the second round before a stunned English crowd in 1994 to claim the WBC title. McCall went on to successfully defend it against Larry Holmes before losing on points to Frank Bruno on Sept. 2, 1995. A rematch against Lewis saw the tables turned, as the Chicago-based challenger fell short in his bid to regain the WBC crown in 1997. Since that defeat, however, McCall has reeled off five consecutive wins. Anthony Willis (17-9, 12 KOs) stands in the way of McCall, who is coming off nearly a two-year recess. Willis, 31, took on former heavyweight contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in his last outing and has met Larry Holmes and Larry Donald since moving up to heavyweight from light heavyweight in 1994.

Another heavyweight, Fernely Feliz (16-2, 9 KOs), is also slated to fight on the card against an opponent to be named. The 27-year-old Dominican was stopped by No. 1 WBC contender John Ruiz in June.