The counterpunches over Saturday's controversial heavyweight title fight came as three state probes were launched into the botched bout.

"Judged on the weight of opinion, I would say I was wrong," Larry O'Connell told the London Evening Standard after arriving home to find himself ringed by furious critics.

"But I did what I thought was right at the time. I can't be any more honest than that."

Most fight fans and boxing insiders who watched Saturday's 12-rounder at Madison Square Garden thought Lewis won thumpingly - and were outraged when the match was declared a draw.

That happened when O'Connell scored the fight a tie at 115-115, South African judge Stanley Christoudoulou scored it 116-113 for Lewis and Atlantic City judge Eugenia Williams gave it 115-113 to Holyfield.

The stunning outcome robbed the British Lewis of the chance to unify the three heavyweight titles.

He holds the World Boxing Council belt, but Holyfield still wears the championship belts bestowed by the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Association.

Because of the sparring over the decision, all three boxing organizations have said they'll seek a rematch within six months.

O'Connell, 60, who was picked to judge the fight by the WBC, said he was "surprised" in the end when his score cards - which were handed in after each round - added up to a draw.

"I felt it could have marginally gone to Lennox Lewis," he said.

But O'Connell called allegations the fight was fixed "absolute crap ... I'm sad about the whole situation. I feel sorry for myself. I've taken so much stick. But I feel even more sorry for Lennox."

The London press has lambasted O'Connell for not backing his fellow Brit.

"I'm a man of integrity and honesty, and I made my decision," he said.

"It's not my style to give a draw. Nobody likes to give a draw because people think you are not man enough to give a result either way."

As for Williams, the one judge who scored the bout for Holyfield, she came out swinging.

"I didn't make any mistakes. I get paid to do a job, and I did it the best I could. I stand by what I scored," said Williams, 48, who was hired by the IBF.

"The result I wrote down is what I saw. I can only judge a fight the way I see it.

"No one paid me to do anything wrong. I don't personally know Don King," she said, referring to Holyfield's notorious promoter. "I would never do anything wrong."

Williams also defended her scoring of the lopsided fifth round - which she gave to Holyfield even though he landed only 11 punches, compared to the 43 blows on which Lewis connected.

"[Holyfield] has an extra large body, and he was in my way. I did everything I could to get a good view. I sat on the edge of the table," she said.

"I heard punches, but I didn't see them. How can I give [Lewis] credit because I heard noise? What I actually saw, I wrote down."

She said her view at times was obstructed by ringside cameramen, and she had to ask them to move.

Meanwhile, politicians behind three state investigations said they planned to grill the judges and others involved in the fight.

The state Senate Investigations Committee, chaired by Sen. Roy Goodman (R-Manhattan), will begin holding hearings Thursday. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will start an inquiry Friday.

Spitzer and Goodman have asked the judges to appear at hearings to explain their round-by-round scoring under oath.

"The judges' decision was so out of line with the reality of what happened in the ring that it has raised legitimate questions of tampering, incompetence or both," Spitzer said.

He also wants to hear from the fight's promoters, the referee and the heads of the three sanctioning bodies, each of which picked one judge.

Gov. Pataki also ordered the state Athletic Commission to launch a full-scale probe of its own.

As the controversy swelled, Lewis and Holyfield squared off again on ABC's "Good Morning America" - but the jabbing was all verbal.

'The only thing I can say is the judges robbed me," Lewis said. "I think the judges robbed the people of the world, because they came to see an undisputed champion get crowned.

"He [Holyfield] should be a man and admit it."

But Holyfield was happy to call it a draw.

"The fight was in the judges' hands," Holyfield said. "Once the fight is in the judges' hands, then it's in the judges' hands."

King also appeared on the show to deny charges of a fix.

"Absolutely not. Why would it even be considered that I fixed the fight?" King said.

-- Anthony Gargano, Gregg Birnbaum, Robert Hardt Jr. and William Neuman - 3/15/99