23 years ago

Date: 17th November 2001

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Title: WBC, IBF & IBO World Heavyweight Titles

Promoter: Main Events & Don King Productions

Referee: Joe Cortez

Tv: HBO PPV

Hasim Rahman
( 35 - 2 - 0 )
Weight: 236 lbs

Lennox Lewis
( 38 - 2 - 1 )
Weight: 246½ lbs

The November 17, 2001, heavyweight championship rematch between Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center marked a swift reversal of fortune following their first encounter. Just seven months after Rahman's shocking knockout victory in South Africa, Lewis entered as a 5-2 favourite despite being the challenger.

The bout's path to fruition involved significant legal drama. After winning the title, Rahman signed with Don King for a $5 million bonus ($4.5 million check, $500,000 cash) and rejected lucrative offers from both HBO and Showtime. HBO had proposed $14 million for the Lewis rematch, while Showtime offered $13.15 million for a Tyson defence. However, Lewis's lawsuit citing a rematch clause prevailed, with Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum ruling Rahman must either face Lewis or remain inactive for 18 months.

The fight itself proved decisively one-sided. Lewis controlled the action behind a precise jab, landing 72 of 144 punches, while Rahman connected on just 48 of 105 attempts. The end came in round four when Lewis unleashed a devastating left-right combination that sent Rahman crashing to his back. Though the champion attempted to rise, he collapsed again as referee Joe Cortez completed the count.

The event drew 9,830 paid attendees, generating a $7,537,400 gate. Pay-per-view numbers reached 460,000 buys for $23 million in revenue. Lewis earned $11 million, while Rahman received $10 million.

Post-fight, Lewis dismissed his South Africa loss as "lucky," declaring Rahman "the Buster Douglas of the 21st century." The Ring magazine would later name the knockout their Knockout of the Year for 2001.