HASIM RAHMAN
PROFILE AND BIO

KEY FIGHTS

2005

August: Won WBC Interim Heavyweight World Title by a 12-round unanimous decision against Monte Barrett (31-3). Hassim pressed forward, outworked Barrett, and landed the harder punches. Barrett fought very defensively for most of the fight and the crowd booed the lack of action. Hasim cut Barrett over the left eye in the 4th round, then rocked him in the 5th and 7th, and buckled his knees at the bell ending the 8th. Hasim was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the 9th round, and Barrett picked up his pace in the late rounds. After the fight, Hasim said, "This isn't the heavyweight championship of the world but it's a must-win, because you will not get to the heavyweight championship of the world without this fight. It might not have been as pretty as y'all wanted it to be. It was tough in a different way... I showed tonight that I was ready to go 12 rounds. I don't expect Klitschko to move around like that. Klitschko thinks he's a puncher. I think I'm a puncher. So we'll be in the center of the ring."

2004

November: Won WBC/IBF Heavyweight Elimination Bout by TKO against Kali Meehan (29-2). Rahman weighed 232, down 14 pounds from his previous fight in July, and down 27 pounds from his career-high 259 in March 2003. He dominated the fight and Meehan's nose was bloodied by the 2nd round. Hasim staggered him in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. He staggered Meehan with a series of unanswered punches in the 4th round, and Meehan's corner threw in the towel to stop the fight at the bell. Afterwards, Rahman said, "I've been through so many highs, the lows. I've been written off so many times. They said I couldn't take a punch. They say I don't train right and my entourage gets in the way. They all have something negative to say, but I take it all on the chin. I'm with a great teacher, my team is right, and it's just beginning ..."

July: Won by KO against Terrance Lewis (32-14-1). Hasim bloodied Lewis' nose in the 1st round and scored a knockdown in the 2nd, and Lewis was counted out on all fours at 0:43. Afterwards, Hasim said, "I feel like everybody didn't think I'd do this to Terrence Lewis. They thought he'd be more of a threat and give me more of a fight..."

June: Won by KO against Rob Calloway (47-4-1). Hasim scored a knockdown in the 2nd round, and Calloway was counted out at 2:00.

April: Won by KO against Mario Cawley (22-11). Rahman scored a knockdown in the 2nd round, and Cawley was counted out at 2:25. Later, Hasim said, "He didn't come to fight, he came to survive. It got to the point where I made a conscious decision to let him hit me with some punches to try to get his confidence up so we could make it a fight. I've never done that before in my life."

March: Won 10-round decision against former IBF cruiserweight world champion, Al Cole (34-12-3). In a very close fight, Hasim bloodied Cole's nose in the 1st round, but Cole outworked him in the early rounds. Both tired in the middle rounds, but Rahman finished strongly in the late rounds,

2003

December: Lost Vacant WBA Interim Heavyweight World Title Challenge by 12-round unanimous decision against John Ruiz (35-4-1). The fans booed the lack of action in the slow-paced fight with repeated clinching and wrestling.

March: Fought to a 12-round draw in IBF Heavyweight Elimination bout against David Tua (42-3). Hasim weighed a career-high 259 pounds in the very close fight. He boxed and moved effectively and dominated the early rounds. Tua was cut over both eyes and had a bloody mouth. Hasim tired in the middle rounds and Tua rallied. Hasim floored Tua just after the bell had ended the 12th round, and it was not scored as a knockdown. After the fight, Rahman said, "That's crazy man, I can't win for losing. Same old stuff. I beat him twice and I got no victories to show for it. Like I did last time, I won. I can't win against this man..."

2002

June: Lost IBF Heavyweight Elimination bout by technical decision against former three-time heavyweight world champion, Evander Holyfield (37-5-2). Holyfield rocked Rahman several times in the 3rd round, and Hasim was cut over the left eye in the 4th by a clash of heads. Another headclash caused a large swelling to develop on the left side of Hasim's forehead in the 7th round, and the referee stopped the fight on the injury at 1:40 of the 8th.

2001

November: Lost WBC/IBF Heavyweight World Titles by KO against former two-time heavyweight world champion, Lennox Lewis (38-2-1). It was a spectacular one-punch knockout. Lewis dominated the fight, winning the first three rounds with a steady jab and busier pace. Lewis scored a knockdown with a right hand in the 4th that put Rahman flat on his back, who struggled to get up but stumbled down again, and who was counted out at 1:29.

April: Won WBC/IBF Heavyweight World Titles by KO against defending champion, Lennox Lewis (38-1-1). It was a spectacular one-punch knockout and a huge upset. Both fightes had their moments in the first four rounds, but Rahman came on strong in the 5th. He rocked Lewis with a right hand midway through the round and, moments later, scored a knockdown with a right hand that put Lewis flat on his back, who struggled to get up, but was counted out at 2:32. Lewis had been leading on all three scorecards.

2000

May: Won by TKO against Corrie Sanders (36-1). Sanders started fast and dominated the first two rounds. He knocked down Hasim in the 3rd round, but as Sanders moved in to follow up, Hasim knocked him down and took control of the fight. Hasim scored anothr knockdown in the 4th, and stopped Sanders at 1:50 of the 7th.

1999

November: Lost by KO against Oleg Maskaev (17-2). In an exciting fight, Rahman built an early lead and staggered Maskaev in the 6th round, but Maskaev rallied to score a knockdown in the 8th. Hasim fell through the ropes onto the arena floor, and was counted out at 2:20. Hasim led on all three scorecards, and a riot broke out in the crowd after the fight.

March: Won by TKO against Michael Rush (17-3-1). Hasim won every round and cut Rush over his left eye in the 5th. Rush went to one knee, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:40.

1998

December: Lost USBA Heavyweight Title/IBF Heavyweight Eliminator by TKO against contender, David Tua (32-1). Rahman dominated the fight with his jab and built a lead, but Tua kept pressing forward and rallied in the 7th round. He landed a left hook that left Hasim dazed clearly after the bell ended the 9th round. The rules call for a five-minute rest period for a fould, but one was not given. Hasim had not recovered at the start of the 10th. Tua rocked him with a series of punches, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:35.

January: Won a 12-round unanimous decision against Jesse Ferguson (24-16).

1997

November: Won 10-round unanimous decision against contender, Obed Sullivan (28-1-1). Rahman built an early lead and staggered Sullivan in the 6th round, who rallied in rounds 9 and 10.

1996

October: Won against former WBC heavyweight world champion, Trevor Berbick (45-8-1).