NEW YORK, CMC - The proposed world welterweight unification bout later this year between Guyana's Andrew Lewis and American Vernon Forrest is off.

Lewis, the World Boxing Association (WBA) champion, and Forrest, who holds the International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt, had agreed on a US$.125 million showdown, but now both are reverting to an earlier plan.

The undefeated Lewis will defend his 147-pound belt against Nicaragua's Ricardo Mayorga and promoters are renewing their bid to match Forrest with the brilliant World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Shane Mosley.

Mosley's plan to move up to the 154-pound super welterweight class to fight IBF holder Winky Wright is off.

"As of last night, Wright-Mosley is no deal," Nelson Fernandez, who manages Lewis and works for HBO as a Spanish announcer, told the Fightnews web site.

Forrest, who beat Guyanese Rawl Frank for the IBF belt in January, appears willing to ignore a mandatory defence against Michelle Piccirillo in search of a huge payday against Mosley.

Fernandez added that the WBA has instructed him to have Lewis ready to fight Mayorga some time between January 13 and February 13 next year.

Lewis and Mayorga met on July 28 but the fight was aborted as a no-contest after an accidental clash of heads left Lewis with serious facial cuts.