He stepped into the ring with something to prove. Lennox Lewis lost his heavyweight titles to Hasim Rahman back on April 22 when a picture perfect right hand to the jaw sent Lewis crashing to the canvas. Now in the rematch held Saturday, November 17 there is something that had to be proven to the world.
Indecently, Rahman was the fighter with something to prove. He had to prove he did not win the heavyweight championship on a fluke. He had to prove he wasn't a James "Buster" Douglas clone. He had to prove he had his eyes open when he threw that picture perfect punch that landed him a duffle bag full of money. Well, he couldn't.
Lewis said his belts were on loan and he planed and taking them back. He did.
Lewis regained his titles in championship fashion. A left jab to the face followed by a right hand over the top of Rahman's extended arms to the jaw put Rahman down for the count.
From the onset Lewis boxed utilizing the center of the ring to keep Rahman at bay. Jabs, occasional combinations and overhand right hands is all Lewis needed to expose this fraud of a champion standing in front of him. It was Rahman himself who gave Lewis the devastating right hand punch opportunity that busted his jaw and sent him into concussion. You see when Rahman would get hit with a stiff punch he would extend both his arms to Lewis in an ill mannered type of way to keep the taller man away. When in fact all he did by extending his arms was to provide a defenseless measuring of himself to Lewis.
If you saw the fight, I want you to remember Rahman with his arms extended forward, his neck stretched back and moving backward... Ok, now insert these words into your visualization... "Wait, hold up, Damn I said wait!"... Fit's doesn't it?
What I could not believe was how some people were buying into Rahman being for real.
I do believe Rahman is a good man because good things happen to good people and Rahman was blessed with a lucky punch that landed him financial stability. He can now provide for himself and his family and not worry about having to apply for any loans. No need to worry about government assistance or Social Security checks in the mail... Maybe.
What Rahman did prove Saturday night was that he indeed won the championship on a fluke, a lucky punch. Rahman wasn't to happy about the alignment with Buster Douglas but he proved the line is parallel between them. He proved he had no business in the same ring with Lewis. He proved Lewis correct in saying he took the first fight lightly. Rahman proved Lewis to be correct when Lewis said he trained for a movie and not to fight Rahman in the first fight.
It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Rahman and Don King continues. After all was it not King who actually had Rahman believing he was a better fighter than Lewis. And that he would beat Brian Nielsen then the winner of John Ruiz and Evander Holyfield then Lewis in the rematch? Then he would then be 50 Million dollars richer? Was it not King who convinced Rahman the Showtime and HBO deals which would have paid Rahman 16-18 million dollars in a rematch with Lewis and guarantee Rahman future fights win lose or draw that would net him even more millions were bad?
Let me not jump to conclusions, maybe King will promote a Lewis vs. Rahman III.
Now with the Rahman detour over, we can concentrate on a Lewis vs. Tyson bout. Providing Tyson gets past "Merciless" Ray Mercer, scheduled for Jan. 19. Personally, I'd like to see Lewis fight Wladimir Klitschko but that's unlikely even though talks are being made between both camps. A Lewis vs. Klitschko bout could not generate near the amount of revenue a Lewis vs. Tyson bout will.
Like it or not, Lewis is the man in the heavyweight division. Take Lewis out of the picture and it gets pretty sad.
How about Bernard Hopkins interviewing Oscar DeLaHoya? Looks like the bout between them will happen early Summer. "Sugar" Shane Mosley, I have you at the top of my pound for pound list but buy a new suit! The pin stripes/sweater routine is getting old, give it a rest.
-Blackbull-
November 20, 2001