View source for Hasim Rahman vs. Lennox Lewis II

{{short description|Boxing competition}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name   = Final Judgment
| image        = [[File:Lewis vs Rahman II.jpg|230px]]
| caption      = 
| fight date   = November 17, 2001
| location     = [[Mandalay Bay Events Center]], [[Paradise, Nevada]], U.S.
| titles       = [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[IBF]], and [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]] heavyweight titles
| fighter1     = {{flagicon|USA}} Hasim Rahman
| nickname1    = "The Rock"
| hometown1    = [[Baltimore, Maryland]], U.S.
| purse1       = $10,000,000
| record1      = 35–2 (29 KO)
| age1         = {{age in years and months |7 November 1972 |17 November 2001}}
| height1      = 6 ft 2+1/2 in
| weight1      = 236 lb
| style1       = [[Orthodox stance|Orthodox]]
| recognition1 = [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[IBF]], and [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]]<br>Heavyweight Champion
| fighter2     = {{flagicon|GBR}} Lennox Lewis
| nickname2    = "The Lion"
| hometown2    = [[West Ham]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]
| purse2       = $11,000,000
| record2      = 38–2–1 (29 KO)
| age2         = {{age in years and months |2 September 1965 |17 November 2001}}
| height2      = 6 ft 5 in
| weight2      = 246+1/2 lb
| style2       = Orthodox
| recognition2 = [[World Boxing Council|WBC]]<br>No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight<br>[[International Boxing Federation|IBF]]<br>No. 3 Ranked Heavyweight<br>Former [[Undisputed championship (boxing)|undisputed]] heavyweight champion
| result       = '''Lewis''' wins via 4th-round '''[[knockout|KO]]''' 
}}
'''Hasim Rahman vs. Lennox Lewis II''', billed as '''''Final Judgment''''', was a [[heavyweight]] professional boxing match contested between [[Unified champion|unified]] [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]], [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]] and [[Lineal championship|lineal]] champion [[Hasim Rahman]] and former [[Undisputed championship (boxing)|undisputed]] heavyweight champion [[Lennox Lewis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hasim Rahman vs. Lennox Lewis (2nd meeting) |url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Hasim_Rahman_vs._Lennox_Lewis_%282nd_meeting%29 |website=boxrec.com/ |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=12 February 2024}}</ref> The bout took place on November 17, 2001 at the [[Mandalay Bay Events Center]] in [[Paradise, Nevada]], and served as a rematch of their [[Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman|April 22 bout]] in which Rahman scored a major upset. In the rematch, Lewis won by knockout.

==Background==
On April 22, 2001, 20–1 underdog [[Hasim Rahman]] pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history after he was able to knock out the heavily favored champion [[Lennox Lewis]] in the fifth round of their fight.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/22/sports/boxing-rahman-takes-lewis-s-belts-in-big-upset.html Rahman Takes Lewis's Belts In Big Upset], N.Y. Times article, 2001-04-22, Retrieved on 2013-07-16</ref> Following his victory, Rahman joined powerful promoter [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King's]] promotional firm. Rahman also received multimillion-dollar offers from cable giants [[Showtime (TV channel)|Showtime]] and [[HBO]] which would allow them to exclusively air his fights. Showtime offered Rahman $19.25 million to make his first defense against their premier fighter [[Mike Tyson]], while HBO countered with a $17 million offer to meet Lewis in a rematch. Rahman, however, turned down both offers and instead opted to take a less lucrative fight against fringe contender [[David Izonritei|David Izon]] that would net him $5 million. Lewis, however, had a rematch clause installed in the contract for his previous fight with Rahman and went to court in hopes of having Rahman make his first defense against him. In June, a judge ruled in Lewis' favor and both Rahman and Lewis agreed to a rematch to take place on November 17.<ref>[https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/08/07/rahman-lewis-rematch-official/ Rahman-Lewis Rematch Official], Baltimore Sun article, 2001-08-07, Retrieved on 2013-07-16</ref>

While promoting the fight, both Rahman and Lewis made an appearance on [[ESPN]]'s interview show ''[[Up Close]]'' hosted by [[Gary Miller (sportscaster)|Gary Miller]]. Rahman had done an earlier radio interview in which he criticized Lewis' decision to sue him for breach of contract, calling it "gay." When this was brought up during the interview with Miller, Lewis defended himself stating that he was "100 percent a woman's man" and that if Rahman had any worries to "bring his sister." Rahman then took offense and the two stood up and went face-to-face before Lewis delivered a slight push to Rahman which in turn started a scuffle between the two men. As staff ran in to break up the melee, Rahman was able to shove Lewis onto the interview table which then collapsed under Lewis' weight before the two were separated.<ref>[http://static.espn.go.com/boxing/news/2001/0830/1246019.html Lewis, Rahman get physical during taping], ESPN article, 2001-08-30, Retrieved on 2016-10-13</ref>

==The fight==
Unlike the previous fight between the two, Lewis came into fight prepared and dominated the duration of the fight. Lewis effectively and efficiently used his trademark left jab to take control of the fight and opened up a cut above Rahman's left eye in the first round. After easily winning the first three rounds on all three judges' scorecards, Lewis was able to win the fight a little past the midway point of round four. Lewis connected with a left–right combination that sent Rahman crashing to the mat. Rahman attempted to get back up but collapsed back to the mat at the referee's count of nine. Lewis was then named the winner by knockout, regaining his heavyweight titles in the process.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120531033205/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1024393/index.htm Payback], Sports Illustrated article, 2001-11-26, Retrieved on 2013-07-16</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
Next for Lewis would be his highly anticipated match with Mike Tyson. After several delays, the fight would finally take place June 8, 2002 in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. In what would become the highest grossing heavyweight fight of all time, Lewis was able to outbox Tyson en route to an eighth-round knockout victory over the former [[Undisputed championship (boxing)|undisputed]] heavyweight champion. After one more fight in 2003, a victory over a then up-and-coming [[Vitali Klitschko]], Lewis retired in 2004 as the reigning WBC, IBO and lineal heavyweight champion.

Rahman's comeback from his loss would start off poorly. He would lose his next fight against an aging [[Evander Holyfield]] by [[technical decision]] after developing a severe [[hematoma]] that caused massive swelling over his left eye. Rahman followed his loss to Holyfield with a draw against fellow heavyweight contender [[David Tua]] before meeting [[John Ruiz]] for the vacant WBA heavyweight title, though he would lose by [[unanimous decision]]. In 2005, however, Rahman would briefly regain the WBC title by defeating [[Monte Barrett]] before dropping it the following year to [[Oleg Maskaev]].

==Undercard==
Confirmed bouts:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/en/event/55880|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}</ref>

==Broadcasting==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align=center | Country
! align=center | Broadcaster
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} ||  [[Sky Sports]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Vivek Chaudhary |title=Sky set as BBC passes up Lewis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/sep/28/boxing.media |website=theguardian.com |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=12 February 2024 |date=28 September 2001}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} ||  [[HBO]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef | rows=2 | before=[[Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman|First Fight]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Hasim Rahman]]'s bouts |years= 17 November 2001}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Evander Holyfield vs. Hasim Rahman|vs. Evander Holyfield]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Lennox Lewis]]'s bouts |years= 17 November 2001}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson|vs. Mike Tyson]]}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-before|before={{small|[[Robert Garcia (American boxer)|Robert Garcia]] vs. [[Ben Tackie]]}}
}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[The Ring (magazine)|''The Ring'']] [[The Ring magazine Knockout of the Year#2000s|Knockout of the Year]]|years=2001}}
{{s-after|after={{small|[[Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson]]}}
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Lennox Lewis}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahman, Lewis II}}
[[Category:2001 in boxing]]
[[Category:2001 in sports in Nevada]]
[[Category:November 2001 sports events in the United States]]
[[Category:Boxing matches at Mandalay Bay Events Center]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Lennox Lewis|Rahman II]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Hasim Rahman|Lewis II]]
[[Category:Boxing matches refereed by Joe Cortez]]
[[Category:Boxing on HBO]]
[[Category:Boxing on Sky Sports]]
[[Category:World Boxing Council heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:International Boxing Organization heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:Pay-per-view boxing matches]]