The Hindu : Sport / Boxing : Rahman looks toward Klitschko

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 16, 2005

Sport

Sport - Boxing

Rahman looks toward Klitschko

CHICAGO: It wasn't a fight that enthralled the crowd, nor was it the type of performance that will strike fear in opponents.

Regardless, Hasim Rahman did enough against Monte Barrett on Saturday night to become the World Boxing Council's interim heavyweight champion.

Next up for Rahman is WBC titleholder Vitali Klitschko.

It's a fight that was supposed to have happened already. Three times Klitschko postponed due to injuries — which Rahman, the WBC's No. 1 contender, and promoter Don King questioned. Rather than wait for the champion to heal, Rahman took the fight with Barrett, his close friend.

``Klitschko made me jump through hoops and made me fight my man,'' Rahman said. ``I didn't want to fight Monte. I'm in his corner. I'm with Monte 100 per cent. ... I've got nothing but respect for Monte.''

But his feelings for Klitschko aren't as warm.

King said Klitschko ``gained his fame not by winning, but by losing.''

The Rahman-Klitschko fight is expected to happen in December. If Rahman wins, King would have all four heavyweight champions.

Rahman is in this spot after a performance that convinced the judges, if not the 15,101 people in attendance at the United Center.

Judges Mauro Di Fiore and Nobuaki Uaratari gave him a wide 118-110 margin, while William Lerch scored it 116-112. The fans? They jeered throughout a slow-paced fight.

Rahman (41-5, 33 knockouts) had said he wanted an early knockout, but was unable to catch Barrett (31-4, 17 KOs).

``I got dinged a little,'' Rahman said. ``Monte is a good puncher. I don't think Klitschko will move around that much, but I showed tonight that I'm ready for 12 rounds.''

Rahman expected a slugfust.

``So they outsmarted me,'' he said.

Hard-earned ranking

He earned that No. 1 ranking by winning five bouts last year, but the Barrett fight was his first since stopping Kali Meehan in the fourth round Nov. 13 in New York.

Rahman stunned the boxing world when he knocked out Lennox Lewis with a right in the fifth round to capture the IBF and WBC championships on April 22, 2001, in South Africa. Lewis regained the belt with a fourth-round knockout seven months later in Las Vegas.

Rahman suffered an eighth-round technical loss to Evander Holyfield in his lone fight in 2002, drew with David Tua in March 2003 and lost a unanimous decision to John Ruiz in their WBA title fight nine months later.

He climbed to No. 1 by keeping busy last year.

``I'm trying to show everybody that I'm in shape, that I'm ready to fight everybody whenever,'' Rahman said.

Particularly Klitschko.

``I don't see that fight transpiring the way this fight transpired,'' Rahman said. — AP

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