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Pastimes : Boxing: The Sweet Science -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LPS5 who wrote (3216)	4/20/2001 5:07:09 PM
From: LPS5	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10489

Lewis to feel the heat in SA altitude April 19 2001 at 11:41AM by Andile Ntingi World heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has made a mistake by giving himself only two weeks to acclimatise to the high altitude before his title fight against Hasim Rahman in Johannesburg, boxing experts said on Thursday. Briton Lewis, who faces American challenger Rahman in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Carnival City Arena near Johannesburg, could run out of steam in the fight's middle rounds, experts warned. "I think Lewis has made a mistake. You need at least three weeks to acclimatise. He is definitely going to feel it (the altitude) after five rounds," said Harold Volbrecht, who trains former WBU heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders. Johannesburg is about 5,600 feet above sea level. Volbrecht's view was echoed by Norman Hlabane, who trains IBF junior-featherweight champion Lehlonoholo Ledwaba of South Africa. "If the fight goes over six rounds, and Lewis does not knock his opponent out, he will be in trouble," Hlabane said. Rahman arrived in South Africa on March 27, giving him four weeks to acclimatise to Johannesburg. At a pre-fight medical on Tuesday, Lewis shrugged off concerns he had arrived too late to adjust to the altitude. "I came two weeks before (the fight) to acclimatise. I've been at this game a long time and I know what I need," he said. Speaking at a Johannesburg gym after a light workout, Rahman said he was not counting on Lewis getting tired during the bout. "I'm not basing my strategy on him getting tired. I'm basing my strategy on how he is going to fight," Rahman said. FAIR CHANCE South Africa's boxing experts claim Rahman has a chance of upstaging Lewis, who London bookmakers William Hill have made 16-1 ON favourite to win. "He (Rahman) has got a fair chance, he has acclimatised and has been training hard for the fight," said Volbrecht. He said if he were Rahman's trainer, he would advise the challenger to compensate for his height disadvantage. Lewis is 1.96 metres while Rahman is 1.89 metres. "He must do a lot of bobbing and weaving to seem smaller, and fight a close fight against Lewis," he said. Mzimasi Mnguni, who trains former IBF featherweight champion Mbulelo Bhotile, said Rahman should pile on the pressure to upset Lewis's rhythm, and watch his dangerous right hand. "People think that this will be an easy fight for Lewis, but Rahman will be very competitive," Mnguni said. - Reuters