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

To: LPS5 who wrote (3396)	4/22/2001 9:26:08 AM
From: LPS5	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10489

Hasim Rahman throws first and last punches April 22 2001 at 07:03AM by David Isaacson Hasim Rahman, the unheralded American challenger posted one of boxing's biggest upsets when he knocked out undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis with a single punch in the fifth round in Johannesburg early on Sunday. The 35-year-old Lewis, a former Olympic gold medallist, was put to sleep in a bout that had to be held at 5am South African time so it could be broadcast live on American prime time television. The Briton was counted out 2min 32secs into the round by Belgian referee Daniel van der Wiele. A crouching Rahman slipped the blows The 28-year-old Rahman, who improved to 35 wins and two defeats, slipped his right hand through Lewis's guard to pole-axe the former champion at Carnival City on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Lewis, whose record drops to 38-2-1, had been trying to get off the ropes at the time after some scrappy fighting and holding. But Lewis lifted his left hand to give Rahman his corridor to unexpected greatness and he obliged instinctively to stun pugilistic experts - like Evander Holyfield did when stopping Mike Tyson in 1996 or even Muhammad Ali when knocking out George Foreman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1974. Rahman, who stopped South Africa's own Corrie Sanders in the seventh round for the marginal WBU crown last year, was the first to throw a punch in the fight. He probed with a jab, but Lewis responded with a left hook. Lewis threw the jab followed by his famed overhand right, but Rahman easily slipped the blow. Rahman landed two thumping jabs which seemed to force Lewis into a shell. The challenger took advantage as he frequently scored with his jab. In the second round, Rahman continued scoring with his jab, but Lewis landed his first right hand and then connected with a solid left soon afterwards. Lewis, ignoring his opponent's jab, pushed forward trying to land his heavy blows, which missed the target. Lewis started the third round pushing forward, leading with his longer jab and trying to land the right, but a crouching Rahman slipped the blows. On the inside, however, the American challenger threw more punches than Lewis. From the outside, Rahman landed a lead right to the head but Lewis hit back with a snapping left uppercut. Rahman backed Lewis on to the ropes with a left-right combination. Lewis started the fourth round more aggressively, landing the jab early, backing Rahman backwards, landing a right, but Rahman fought back, turning the bout into a slugfest, but getting warned for hitting in on the break. This levelled matters and the two stood in the middle, often clinching. Lewis jabbed but Rahman countered with a right cross. The two traded jabs before punching to the other's body. Lewis and Rahman traded big rights, the champion's early in the fifth round and Rahman's midway, which left Lewis grimacing. The two fought and clinched their way around the ring until Rahman caught up with Lewis and history. - Sapa