HASIM RAHMAN
PROFILE AND BIO

Updated 17-June-06

When looking at Hasim Rahman's profile, one can take most stereotypes about how boxers are usually raised and what they are like, and what a former heavyweight champion of the world might be like, and throw them out the window. His story is unique.

Born into a lower-middle class family, he earned straight A's in elementary school and was moved up to the next grade. The older boys took that as a slight, and school yard fights ensued.

To help cope with the trouble he was having at school, "I made a conscious decision to change my attitude; to become a bad boy to change my image, so I wouldn't get picked on," Rahman said. "I excelled at my new school, but the group I was hanging with didn't think it was cool to study." He "started doing what the bad guys do," including fighting, riding in stolen cars and staying away from school. He dropped out of school in the 11th grade.

Everything changed for him when he turned eighteen. "I had a son and that was a wakeup call for me. My mom always told me I was going o be somebody, and I felt I had to do better for my son." He received his high school equivalency diploma, enrolled in community college and took some remedial courses.

In an unusual twist, he was challenged by a neighbourhood boxer to a "body punching contest." He said, "I got the better of him and he said I should stop by the Mac Lewis Gym. I'll never forget what he said to me. 'You could make a million bucks.' "

That statement turned out to be prophetic. He went to the gym, and he's been there ever since.

Now at the age of 32, Hasim has been fighting as a pro for over 11 years. The former WBC-IBF heavyweight world champion, won the WBC interim heavyweight world title in August 2005 with a 12-round unanimous decision against Monte Barrett. After numerous postponements with then WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko, Rahman was awarded the WBC heavyweight title upon Klitschko's retirement. Rahman's first title defense against James Toney in March 2006 ended in a draw. Rahman now moves on to this mandatory second defense of his title against Oleg Maskaev

Hasim won the WBC-IBF heavyweight world titles in April 2001, with a spectacular one-punch knockout win against defending champion, Lennox Lewis. But he lost the title back to Lewis in his next fight the following November, again by another spectacular one-punch knockout.

The loss to Lewis started a four-fight winless streak (0-3-1) in 2002 and 2003 that continued against Evander Holyfield, David Tua, and John Ruiz. Hasim's weight peaked at a career-high 259 against Tua.

Hasim said his next fight, against former IBF cruiserweight world champion, Al Cole on a small fight card in Maryland in March 2004, led to a turning point in his attitude.

He said, "When I fought the rematch with Lennox Lewis, I felt like I could beat every heavyweight at the time, all I got to do is show up and hit him with any punch and the fight would be over,. If you watch the fight, you'll notice the first punch I him him with, I buckled him with the left hook. To me, that just reaffirmed what I thought all along, all I got to do is land a punch. He was being very cautious, so I figured it might take me a little more rounds, about the seventh or eighth round, then I'll get him.

"So I was just laying back, thinking, you know, come the eighth round I'll pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, but unfortunately, I misjudged Lennox and his punching power, and he got the KO victory. I didn't really think much of that, because I felt like it was my own fault, so I ain't really changed no habits. I just went on, moving around, moving around, moving around, just going through the motions, going through the motions, still believing in myself, that I could eat every heavyweight, and I know I can.

"But the problem was, I was missing an ingredient. I wasn't putting in the work to be able to beat them. And even though I went on and continued to fight, I always made excuses because even when people got victories over me, I knew they couldn't beat me, so it really didn't discourage me. I knew I took a shortcut here or there.

"So when I fought Al Cole, I felt like I could take shortcuts with a guy like this and still knock him out. But he didn't go down. I punished him, you know, regardless of what the scorecards say, I punished him bad. In most states, they would have probably stopped it. But at the same time, they didn't and I'm glad they didn't, because if they did, I would have went on proceeding as normal. By having to go the distance, I felt like, 'Man, I got to turn around and change this here.' So I started really digging down and tried to make myself better, take myself to another level.

"I knew I needed to find somebody to take me to the next level. I just studied the boxing trainers and the boxers, so you know, if you ask me about any heavyweight or any heavyweight trainer, I could probably tell you about him.

"The first name that came to my mind was Thell Torrance. I've always known about Thell. I felt like, you know, as long as he ain't working with no heavyweight that would be a conflict of interest in the future, and he willing to take on this project, and it was a project, that he would get me back to the heavyweight championship picture.

"When Steve Nelson called him, what intrigued me was that he didn't just say, 'Yes, yes, yes,' because he figured it was a way to make some money. He said, 'Well I don't know, let me talk to Rock first.' I found that a little odd initially, but I had to respect it, because any other trainer I ever got, we make a phone call, and they immediately accept it just for the money. So that made me want to get with him even more, because there was a little more principles about his approach. If it was a ploy, it worked. He got my respect and he's had it ever since.

"My conditioning has never been this good. I've never been this smart of a boxer. I'm better than I've ever been. I definitely feel like no heavyweight can beat me if I'm focused and in shape. Right now, I'm focused and in shape. My hands are really, really heavy."

Thell Torrance said, "I started working with Hasim before the Meehan fight. I got a call from Steve Nelson, he approached me. I didn't know a lot about Hasim, other than, you know, what you hear. I look at all heavyweights, 'cause I deal with these guys. There was a lot of negative feedback on him, so when he first approached me, I told him to stop by the office and let me talk to him. An in speaking to him he was so sincere and so honest, and he laid things on the table. We went on for a while, and I stopped after I was convinced that this guy was for real. I said, 'I've heard enough. If you're sincere about what you're saying, your life starts today.' And that's the way we hit it off. He said, 'Coach, I'll give you a hundred percent,' and that's the way it's been. I have not detected anything from this kid but respect. His work ethics have been great and that motivates me, when I see a kid working like that. I feel very confident going into the fight.

"I've got a lot of things to teach and a lot of things to give, but I don't give it unless you deserve it. I don't like to waste my time. I don't even like to waste my breath. That's the way I operate. Attitude, that's what you look for in a guy. First, you got to fix their head. If you can fix the head, you can fix the body. If you can't fix the head, you're wasting your time."

Hasim is experienced against top opposition, and has fought current or former heavyweight world champions John Ruiz (L12), Evander Holyfield (TL8), Lennox Lewis twice (KO by 4, KO5), Corrie Sanders (TKO7), and Trevor Berbick (W10), and former cruiserweight world champion, Al Cole (W10). He has also fought several contenders.

Continued ... Part II ... Key Fights