By Cliff Rold
With former World Cruiserweight champion David Haye in the audience looking on, 32-year old unified IBF/WBO Heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko (52-3, 46 KO) of the Ukraine continued to extend his claim as the world best big man, dominating and stopping 36-year old former lineal World Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (45-7-2, 36 KO) of Baltimore, Maryland in seven rounds on Saturday at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany. It was Klitschko’s tenth consecutive win since a stoppage loss to Lamon Brewster in 2004.
It was Rahman’s fifth loss since scoring a major title upset of former two-time lineal king Lennox Lewis in 2001, and he was never really in what turned out to be the latest in a series of disappointing and dull bouts at the championship level of the Heavyweight division. Klitschko came in to the bout at 244 ½ lbs., Rahman at 253 ½.
In the first, it was a battle of jabs as Rahman aimed his left at the chest of Klitschko and Klitschko used his to open up some hard, stunning right hands. Klitschko also made attempts at the left hook but missed as Rahman fought from a crouch. Clinches marked the second, Klitschko initiating and Rahman attempting to rough the titlist up with rabbit and kidney blows. Klitschko blasted through the high guard of Rahman with two blistering rights to end round two.
Round three again was a battle of two of the best jabs in the division, Rahman reaching in with rights to the body. It was a battle where Klitschko prevailed, pinning Rahman down along the ropes for almost two minutes. Rahman kept his gloves high, occasionally jabbing back or tossing a right, leaving fans to wonder if Rahman was attempting to exploit Klitschko’s occasionally spotty stamina. The closing seconds saw Rahman briefly come off the ropes and turn stalker but Klitschko held him at bay with a jab.
Round four was perhaps the worst of the night so far for the former lineal Heavyweight king as Rahman was kept at the end of the jab, peppered with rights and wobbled with lead left hooks. The clinical dissection continued in round five, Rahman occasionally responding to a steady beating jab with looping rights to the body. In the final seconds, Rahman backed off and appeared to dip behind the left shoulder, hoping to draw Klitschko into a counter shot, but Klitschko refused to follow.
He followed a backwards moving Rahman fine in the first twenty seconds of the sixth, a left hook series and the ring paint at center ring sent Rahman to the seat of his pants. Referee Tony Weeks gave the mandatory eight-count and Rahman nodded to his corner to signify he was okay. Rahman rose and went to the ropes as he had in the third, Klitschko releasing volumes of combinations. The bulk of shots were absorbed on the arms and gloves of Rahman, but there little fire returned.
Warned between rounds by Weeks and trainer Buddy McGirt that the end could be near, Rahman took yet another left and right to start the seventh and was driven again to the ropes. An echoing right hand shook Rahman badly and Klitschko followed with a closing assault. A Left hook, right hand and left hook blasted Rahman. Another right and left glanced off of the challenger as Weeks leapt in to call a halt to the night at :44 seconds of round seven.
“That’s what I have to do in the ring and Hasim Rahman really got punished,” stated Klitschko moments after the bout. Asked about future opponents, Klitschko referenced IBF mandatory Alexander Povetkin (16-0, 12 KO), whom Rahman acted as a late replacement for, and the British Haye (22-1, 21 KO). “I think Rahman is more experienced than Povetkin. Povetkin’s a young fighter and of course I was expecting Povetkin and that was the wish of (trainer) Emanuel (Steward) and myself to fight Alexander Povetkin…tonight. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it because he got injured and, any time soon, we’re going to see Povetkin-Klitschko. I haven’t heard David Haye tonight because he’s been loud, and, where is he? So anyways, I think exciting time in the Heavyweight division.”
The world certainly hopes so. In the meantime, the best Klitschko can do is dominate what is in front of him until the excitement comes and he was close to perfect on Saturday night.
The card was televised in the United States on premium cable network HBO, promoted by K2 Promotions.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
