Rahman-Lewis II: The Weight Is
Over
By Alex Pierpaoli
16.11 - Heavyweight Champion Hasim
Rahman and former champ, Lennox Lewis, weighed-in
on Thursday at the Mandalay Bay Hotel/Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada. The two meet this Saturday night in
a rematch of their April 21st encounter in South Africa,
in which Rahman wrested the title from Lewis. And
unlike the last bout, this time both men appear to
be in excellent physical condition. Lewis, who had
been preoccupied with Hollywood dreams and a cameo
appearance in the upcoming film remake Ocean's Eleven,
looked chiseled and scaled 246.5lbs, six and a half
pounds lighter than he was seven months ago. Rahman,
who weighed 238 in South Africa, came in at a carved
236lbs yesterday. If looks win fights it is hard to
choose a winner between these two fit and ready athletes.
Hasim "Rock" Rahman, a durable
and underrated heavyweight, won the first meeting
with a crushing right hand in round five and scored
the biggest upset in heavyweight boxing since February,
1990, in Tokyo when James Buster Douglas knocked out
Mike Tyson. Lennox Lewis, who with the help of veteran
trainer Emmanuel Steward, has done more to spin the
reality of that kayo loss than any Clinton-era press
secretary could dream. By this time we've heard all
the excuses from Team Lewis: the ropes were too tight,
Lennox' legs got tangled; the count was too fast,
etc. The reality was that Lewis underestimated a tough
and worthy challenger, and going into round five Hasim
Rahman was hardly in trouble, in fact most boxing
writers had the fight even up to that point. Rahman
had come to South Africa with winning on his mind.
If he was meant to be another opponent in a long winning
streak for Lewis, no one bothered to tell him about
it.
Since the loss Lewis has been in a
state of denial and he refuses to give Rahman any
credit for the victory. On Tuesday night on Jim Rome's
talk show The Last Word, Lewis said: "I believe
I was beaten by a better punch but definitely not
a better man." He went on to say: "(Rahman's)
basically showing a lot of disrespect. I gave him
an opportunity to box for the Heavyweight Championship
of the World and it's gone to his head." One
thing is certain for Lewis, his reputation as one
of the best heavyweights of this age is in jeopardy
if he can't erase Rahman's kayo with a convincing
revenge victory.
Lewis believes the Rock's win in South
Africa was a fluke, and on Saturday night he gets
his chance to prove Rahman is nothing more than a
Buster Douglas. Douglas, after scoring the spectacular
victory over Tyson, went on to lose the Championship
in his first defense against Evander Holyfield. But
Rahman is well aware of the public's assumption that
he's a "one punch wonder." On The Last Word,
Rahman explained how fights are usually won and lost
in training and said: "Buster Douglas ate himself
out of the heavyweight title" and promised that
would not happen to him. So far Rahman seems as good
as his word. He weighed in lighter than in the previous
fight and has spent an excellent camp in the high
altitude training Mecca of Big Bear, California, often
used by other greats of the sport: Fernando Vargas,
Sugar Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Oscar
DeLaHoya.
So with all the talking and pre-fight hype coming
to a close, what happens on Saturday?
Unlike in South Africa, look for Rahman
to own the inside when the two men clutch and grab.
After there scuffle on ESPN's Up Close during which
they trashed the set, the Rock knows he is physically
stronger than Lewis and if given the chance, he can
certainly out-muscle the former champ in the clinches.
Despite Lewis' tendency toward holding and hitting-remember
two of the knockdowns in his win over Michael Grant
were produced when Lewis nailed Grant while holding
him with the other hand-Rahman should be prepared
for the ex-champ's tricks of the trade. Lewis' best
strategy would be to keep the fight at a distance
and try to spear the Rock on his way in with jabs
and straight rights; similar to the way he did with
Holyfield and Tua. But unlike both of those opponents,
Rahman is bigger, has a superior left jab, and a massive
psychological edge. Rahman will have to crowd Lewis
the way Holyfield did with some success and the way
Tua wishes he did. But as was clear in the return
match with Oliver McCall, who also kayoed Lewis with
a big right hand in 1994, and in Lewis' bout with
David Tua, the former champ is careful and clever
when he's afraid of getting nailed. Lewis' arsenal
is chock full of right uppercuts, left hooks, overhand
rights and a sometimes decent jab, but will they be
enough to stop a supremely motivated Hasim Rahman?
In a year of upsets I've been wrong
about the Prince and Zab Judah, but I had a good feeling
about both Hopkins and Rahman. On Saturday I think
Rahman does it again. And this time it will be more
convincing. Hasim Rahman will batter Lewis to an eighth
round TKO loss, possibly knocking the Briton right
into retirement.
