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

To: LPS5 who wrote (3385)	4/22/2001 2:13:37 AM
From: LPS5	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10489

Rahman shocks the world April 22, 2001 by Mark Butcher SecondsOut.com Hasim Rahman, a 20-1 pre-fight underdog, is the new heavyweight champion of the world. The challenger from Baltimore sent shockwaves rippling across world boxing as he upset reigning WBC, IBF and IBO champion Lennox Lewis with a stunning fifth round knockout, amid the stifling 6,000ft altitude in Carnival City, South Africa. All the speculation surrounding Lewis’ lackadaisical preparation for the fight proved correct as the champion was blowing heavily from as early as the second round. He seemed unable to cope with the conditions, but still hadn’t lost a round going into the fateful fifth. More importantly, Rahman, 35-2 (29), never lost faith and, when a grinning Lewis foolishly dropped his hands near the ropes in the fifth, he paid the penalty as the challenger unleashed a jackhammer right to send the Briton crumpling theatrically to the canvas. That perfectly delivered blow was almost a carbon copy of Lewis’ only other pro defeat against Oliver McCall in September 1994 and the emphatic conclusion to this defeat has surely tarnished his boxing legacy forever. The towering Briton, while unconvincing, had been ahead on points in a scrappy contest, but never looked like recovering from the knockdown and the fight was waved off by Belgian referee Daniel Van De Wiele after 2 minutes and 32 seconds of the fifth round. “I can’t believe that,” said a stunned, but surprisingly philosophical Lewis. “I felt fine afterwards. He caught me with a good punch. This is what happens in boxing. I definitely want a rematch. I want to get in there as soon as possible.” Understandably, the jubilant Rahman felt his decision to arrive a month beforehand, in order to acclimatise to Carnival City’s thin-aired conditions, was completely vindicated by the incredible victory. “I felt like my preparation was right,” said Rahman. “Everything was fantastic. I did everything correct. I wanted Lennox to hit me, use his jab. I wanted him to feel my jab. I started pawing my eye. He tried to finish me and I got him. I was trying to get (the referee to count) 8, 9, 10, and I was ready to jump on him again. “It was unbelievable, indescribable,” smiled Rahman. “Lennox was a great champion, but all good things come to an end.” The newly-crowned champion would not comment on whether there would be an immediate rematch, even though Lewis’ advisor Adrian Ogun insisted one had been written into the contract. “(I’ll fight) Lennox, Tyson, the Klitschkos or whoever,” added Rahman. “I see a rematch going the same way again. I’m more confident than I’ve ever been. Rahman’s victory is undoubtedly one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Only twice in recent years has a heavyweight champion been beaten at longer odds, Mike Tyson in 1990 against Buster Douglas, a 42-1 outsider, and Tyson again in 1996 when Evander Holyfield beat him as a 25-1 underdog.