Jones would face Mike Tyson in early 2004

Former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is in negotiations to fight Roy Jones Jr for the WBA heavyweight title.

The proposed fight has been tentatively scheduled for 4 October at Madison Square Garden.

The 40-year-old Holyfield lost a decision to Chris Byrd for the IBF version of the title last December and injured his shoulder, which resulted in rotator cuff surgery.

Holyfield, speaking from Montgomery, Alabama where he appeared at a fund-raiser for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, believes a win over Jones Jr would be a formality.

"It's just a matter of time," he said.

Have Your Say Will the fight happen?

The fight became public knowledge after promoter Murad Muhammad bragged that Jones Jr would earn $15m from it.

Muhammad added that Jones Jr would then fight Mike Tyson at the beginning of next year before taking on Lennox Lewis at the end of 2004.

Lewis's next fight will be against Canadian Kirk Johnson on 21 June in Los Angeles.

Jones Jr became the first former middleweight champion in more than a century to win the heavyweight title when he beat John Ruiz in March.