Hasim Rahman's stunning upset of Lennox Lewis revisited

Hasim Rahman walked into Carnival City Casino in Brakpan, South Africa on May 24, 2001 as a 20/1 longshot against WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. He left with the title after landing a fourth-round knockout that stunned the boxing world.

Rahman's path to that moment traced back to Baltimore gyms where Mack Lewis taught him fundamentals as a teenager. Kevin Rooney spotted potential and brought Rahman to the Catskills to mold him in Mike Tyson's image, but the partnership soured. "He wanted me to adopt Tyson's peek-a-boo style, but that wasn't for me," Rahman said, per The Ring.

How Rahman clawed into title contention

After turning pro under Cedric Kushner in late 1994, Rahman rolled to 29-0 before Don King lured him away with cash, triggering lawsuits from both promoters. His record took hits in losses to David Tua and Oleg Maskaev, but a seventh-round stoppage of Corrie Sanders — a war where both fighters hit the canvas — pushed Rahman back into contention as Lewis sought opponents while Tyson served a suspension.

Lewis made the mistake of arriving in South Africa only 12 days before the fight, squeezed between filming a role in Ocean's Eleven. He looked sluggish from the opening bell, fighting hands-low at altitude and absorbing punches Rahman had no business landing. Lewis breathed through his mouth by the end of the second round and stopped working inside exchanges, while Rahman threw hard body shots whenever they collided.

The knockout came in Round 4 after Lewis stormed out and attacked for a minute before Rahman countered with the right hand everyone knew he carried. Lewis never saw it flush. The rematch seven months later in Las Vegas restored order when Lewis stopped Rahman in four, but that night in Brakpan remains one of heavyweight boxing's unlikeliest coronations.

Source: ringmagazine.com