Hasim Rahman vs Lennox Lewis II

Lennox Lewis regained the world heavyweight championship by knocking out Hasim Rahman in the fourth round of their rematch at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas on November 17, 2001. Seven months after losing his titles to Rahman in South Africa, Lewis settled the matter with a left hook followed by a straight right hand, which sent the champion heavily onto his back. Rahman attempted to rise but fell forward again as referee Joe Cortez completed the count. The official time was 1 minute 29 seconds.

The contest, promoted as “Final Judgment,” was for Rahman’s World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organisation heavyweight titles. Rahman weighed 236 pounds and entered with a record of 35 victories and two defeats. Lewis, weighing approximately 246½ pounds, brought a record of 38 wins, two losses and one draw. Although he entered as the challenger, Lewis was installed as the betting favourite and received a purse of approximately $11 million. Rahman was paid about $10 million for his first defence.

Their first meeting at Carnival City in Brakpan on April 22 had produced one of the notable heavyweight upsets. Lewis, overweight and insufficiently acclimatised to the South African altitude, had been knocked out by a right hand in the fifth round. Rahman’s victory brought him immediate recognition and considerable bargaining power. He signed with promoter Don King and considered other opportunities, including proposed contests involving Mike Tyson and David Izon.

Lewis possessed a contractual right to an immediate rematch and took legal action when Rahman attempted to pursue another defence. A federal judge upheld the agreement, leaving Rahman with the choice of meeting Lewis again or remaining inactive for an extended period. The return was eventually arranged for Las Vegas, with Don King Productions and Main Events involved in the promotion. The legal dispute and a physical confrontation between the fighters during a televised interview added to the hostility of a contest that already carried considerable importance.

Lewis prepared for the rematch with greater care than he had shown before the first fight. Under the direction of Emanuel Steward, he entered more than seven pounds lighter and appeared sharper in his movements. His plan was based on controlling distance, an active left jab, and avoiding the ropes, where Rahman had trapped him before the knockout in South Africa. Rahman, trained by Adrian Davis, expected to repeat his success with pressure and the right hand, but he was never allowed to establish the same position.

Lewis took command from the opening bell. He moved lightly around Rahman, using the jab to occupy the champion’s guard and prevent him from setting his feet. Rahman advanced but was unable to consistently close the distance. Lewis struck first, stepped away and returned to the centre of the ring rather than retreating in a straight line. A jab opened a cut near Rahman’s left eye during the first round, and the challenger’s greater speed was already evident.

Rahman attempted to work his own jab but was repeatedly beaten to the target. Lewis also used feints to draw the champion’s right hand before moving beyond its range. There was none of the casual smiling or loose defensive work which had preceded his defeat in Brakpan. His hands remained high, his feet were balanced, and his attention stayed fixed upon Rahman. All three judges awarded Lewis the opening round.

The pattern continued in the second. Rahman tried to press with more urgency, but Lewis met him with the jab and occasional right hands. When the fighters came together, Lewis used his greater size to prevent Rahman from working freely inside. He then separated cleanly and restored the distance. Rahman remained dangerous because of his strength and punching power, but he was required to reset after almost every attack.

Lewis became more positive in the third round. He began placing greater weight behind the right hand and mixed straight punches with hooks around Rahman’s guard. Rahman landed occasionally but could not force the challenger backwards for any sustained period. His left eye continued to trouble him, and his reactions became less certain as Lewis increased the pace. Judges Dalby Shirley, Patricia Morse Jarman and Dave Moretti each scored all three completed rounds for Lewis, giving him a 30–27 advantage on every card.

The fourth opened with Lewis continuing to control the centre. Rahman came forward behind his guard, looking for the right hand that had decided their first contest. Lewis remained outside its range and answered with sharper punches. He did not rush the attack or throw unnecessary combinations. Instead, he waited for Rahman to move into position and then struck with the accuracy that had been missing in South Africa.

The finish came shortly after the halfway point of the round. Lewis stepped forward with a left hook, which caught Rahman around the side of the head and turned him into the path of a full right cross. The second punch landed cleanly on the jaw. Rahman fell flat on his back, his arms dropping beside him as Lewis moved towards a neutral corner.

Rahman rolled and attempted to raise himself while Cortez counted. He reached a crouching position, but his legs would not support him, and he fell forward onto the canvas. Cortez completed the count and waved the contest over. Rahman did not protest. The knockout was immediate and conclusive, leaving no question about the result or the condition of the defeated champion.

Lewis landed 72 of 144 punches during the four rounds, while Rahman connected with 48 of 105. The figures reflected the challenger’s superior accuracy and control rather than a large difference in activity. Rahman had been permitted to throw, but he had rarely been allowed to do so from a favourable distance. Lewis’s jab disrupted his attacks, and the movement which followed each exchange denied him a stationary target.

The victory made Lewis the heavyweight champion for the third time and restored the position he had surrendered seven months earlier. Afterwards, he dismissed Rahman’s first victory as the product of one fortunate punch and compared him with James “Buster” Douglas, who had shocked Mike Tyson before losing the championship in his first defence. The remarks were severe, but Lewis’s performance supported his contention that the first result had not represented the normal difference between the two men.

Rahman had earned his championship by landing a legitimate and decisive blow in South Africa, but he was comprehensively beaten in the rematch. Lewis arrived properly conditioned, maintained his concentration and corrected the positional errors which had contributed to the first defeat. The left jab controlled the contest, the feet kept him away from the ropes, and the finishing combination ended the fight before Rahman could establish any momentum.

The Lennox Lewis versus Hasim Rahman rematch remains one of the clearest reversals in heavyweight championship history. Rahman had won the first fight with a single right hand after forcing Lewis into a poor position. In Las Vegas, Lewis allowed him no comparable opportunity. He won every completed round and regained the WBC and IBF heavyweight titles with one of the most decisive knockouts of his career.