BIG BEAR CITY, California (CMC):

JAMAICA'S WORLD cruiserweight boxing champion O'Neil Bell is awaiting an arraignment date after being arrested for an alleged assault on a training partner.

Bell posted US$50,000 bail after he was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, law officials at the San Bernardino County sheriff's department said.

Bell's sparring partner Larry Slayton claimed the 32-year-old champion attacked him with a hatchet and threw rocks at him following a conflict during a running session in Big Bear.

Bell, who became the undisputed world cruiserweight champion when he defeated Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck 13 months ago, has been training in Big Bear for a March 17 rematch with Mormeck in Paris.

Big Bear, located about 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the San Bernardino Mountains, is a frequently used training facility for boxers.

Slayton, 37, helping Bell train for his bout with Mormeck, told the police that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods and threw a hatchet at him.

At that point Slayton said he ran, as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks.

Bell, who holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) belts for the 200-pound cruiserweight division, was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears.

Knocked out Mormeck

Bell knocked out Mormeck in round 10 last January to become the first unified - WBC, WBA and International Boxing Federation (IBF) - cruiserweight champ since Evander Holyfield in 1988.

With a ring record of 26 wins (24 knockouts) against one loss and one draw, Bell has not fought since beating Mormeck for the undisputed title and was stripped of the IBF belt for failure to defend the crown.

Mormeck has 32 wins (22 knockouts) against three defeats and since his loss to Bell, has had one outing, defeating Sebastien Hill on a fourth round knockout in St Louis, US.