Hasim Rahman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hasim Rahman
Rahman in 2008
Statistics
Real name	Hasim Shariff Rahman
Nickname(s)	The Rock
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 2+1/2 in
Reach	82 in
Born	(1972-11-07) November 7, 1972 (age 52) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	62
Wins	50
Wins by KO	41
Losses	9
Draws	2
No contests	1

Hasim Sharif Rahman (born November 7, 1972) is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1994 to 2014. Hasim Rahman became a world champion in the heavyweight division twice. He held important titles like the WBC, IBF, and IBO championships in 2001. He also won the WBC title again from 2005 to 2006. He was known as one of the top 10 heavyweight boxers in the world for many years.

Rahman became famous in 2001. He scored a big knockout win against Lennox Lewis to become the unified heavyweight champion. This was a huge surprise! Later that year, Lewis fought Rahman again and won back his championship. Rahman won the WBC title a second time in 2005. He beat Monte Barrett, and the WBC made him the full champion. His second time as champion ended in 2006 when he lost to Oleg Maskaev.

Professional Boxing Career

Starting Out: 1994–1997

Hasim Rahman started boxing a bit later than some, at age 20. He only had 10 amateur fights before becoming a professional boxer. His first pro fight was on December 3, 1994, when he was 22. To make up for his lack of amateur experience, Rahman fought very often. Sometimes he had fights just five days apart! In 1995, he had nine professional fights, and in 1996, he had eleven.

Rahman had natural boxing talent. He won 11 of his first 12 fights by knockout. In March 1996, he stepped up to fight tougher opponents. He won a 10-round decision against Ross Puritty. Seven months later, he beat former world champion Trevor Berbick. In 1997, he won two regional heavyweight titles. He defended these titles several times, showing he was a strong fighter.

Challenging for the Heavyweight Title: 1998–2000

On December 19, 1998, Rahman fought David Tua. This fight was to decide who would get a chance to fight for the IBF title. Rahman was boxing well and seemed to be winning most rounds. But at the end of the 9th round, Tua hit him with a powerful punch after the bell. This dazed Rahman. In the next round, Tua landed more strong punches, and the referee stopped the fight. Tua won by TKO. Many people argued that Tua should have been disqualified for the punch after the bell.

Even with this loss, Rahman's ranking didn't drop much. However, in November 1999, he was knocked out by Oleg Maskaev. Rahman looked like he was winning that fight too. At one point, he was even knocked out of the ring! Rahman later said he didn't train hard enough for that fight. He thought Maskaev would be an easy win, but he was wrong.

First World Title and Rivalry with Lennox Lewis: 2001

Rahman bounced back with three wins. One big win was in May 2000 against Corrie Sanders. Rahman was knocked down twice in that fight but came back to win in the 7th round. After these wins, he moved back up in the rankings.

Finally, on April 22, 2001, Rahman got a chance to fight Lennox Lewis. Lewis was the WBC, IBO, and IBF heavyweight champion. Rahman won his final fight before Lewis by a technical decision.

The championship fight was held in South Africa. Most people thought Lewis would win easily. Rahman was a huge underdog, meaning almost no one expected him to win. But Rahman shocked everyone! He defeated Lewis by knockout in the 5th round. This was only Lewis's second loss ever.

Lewis had a contract that allowed him an immediate rematch. Rahman and his new promoter, Don King, wanted to fight someone else first. But Lewis took them to court to make sure the rematch happened. The judge agreed with Lewis. So, on November 17, 2001, in Las Vegas, Rahman and Lewis fought again. This time, Lewis knocked Rahman out in the fourth round.

Making a Comeback: 2002–2004

Rahman's first fight after losing to Lewis was disappointing. He lost to former champion Evander Holyfield. Holyfield accidentally headbutted Rahman, causing a big swelling on Rahman's forehead. The fight was stopped and Holyfield won by technical decision.

On March 29, 2003, Rahman fought David Tua for a second time. The fight ended in a draw, meaning neither boxer won. Rahman was at his heaviest weight for this fight. Later that year, the WBC ranked Rahman as the number one contender.

On December 13, Rahman fought John Ruiz for an interim WBA heavyweight title. Rahman was expected to win, but he lost by a unanimous decision. He was not in good shape for this fight.

After this loss, Rahman decided to fight less famous boxers to get back into shape. His hard work paid off. On November 13, 2004, he fought Kali Meehan. This was an important fight, as the winner would become a top contender for several world titles. Rahman won by knockout in the fourth round at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Second World Title and Challenges: 2005

The WBC said Rahman was the next person to challenge Vitali Klitschko for his title. The fight was planned for April 30, 2005. But Klitschko got injured, so the fight was moved to June 18. Then it was moved again to July 23. After that, Klitschko's doctors said he needed back surgery. The fight was pushed back a fourth time to November 12.

Because of all these delays, Rahman fought for a WBC "Interim" heavyweight championship. On August 13, 2005, he defeated Monte Barrett by a unanimous decision.

Then, on November 7, Klitschko got another injury. The WBC said they would take away his championship if he couldn't fight within 60–90 days. But on November 9, Vitali Klitschko decided to retire from boxing instead. So, on November 10, 2005, the WBC gave its heavyweight championship to Hasim Rahman. This made him a two-time heavyweight champion!

Title Defenses and Loss: 2006

On March 18, 2006, Rahman fought James Toney. The fight was a draw, meaning it ended with no winner. Rahman kept his WBC heavyweight title because of the draw.

In 2006, Rahman was ranked as one of the best heavyweights in the world. But on August 12, 2006, he lost his WBC heavyweight championship to his rival, Oleg Maskaev. Rahman was ahead on the judges' scorecards for most of the fight. However, in the 12th and final round, Maskaev knocked Rahman down. The referee stopped the fight to protect Rahman from more punches. Rahman later said he should have been more careful in the last round.

Another Comeback: 2007

Rahman during training, 2008

After taking 10 months off, Rahman started boxing again. On June 14, 2007, he won a 10-round decision against Taurus Sykes. Rahman then fought three more times in three months, winning all of them by TKO. On November 15, 2007, he won the NABF title by TKO against Zuri Lawrence.

Big Fights and Losses: 2008

In 2008, Rahman was 35 years old but still considered a strong fighter. He was ranked highly by different boxing organizations. However, both of his fights that year ended in losses.

On July 16, 2008, Rahman fought James Toney again. The fight was stopped because of an accidental headbutt. The result was later changed to a "No Contest," meaning it was as if the fight never happened.

Rahman then lost to Wladimir Klitschko on December 13, 2008. Klitschko was fighting for his WBO, IBO, and IBF titles. Klitschko controlled the fight, winning every round. The referee stopped the fight in the 7th round because Rahman couldn't defend himself.

Later Career: 2009–2014

After his loss to Klitschko, Rahman took a break from boxing. He even said he was interested in trying mixed martial arts.

Fifteen months later, in March 2010, Rahman returned to boxing. He won his comeback fight and then won four more fights in a row, all by knockout. His win over Galen Brown was his 50th professional win!

In 2012, Rahman got another chance to fight for a world title against Alexander Povetkin. Povetkin beat Rahman by TKO in the 2nd round.

Rahman's last attempt to get back into the heavyweight scene was in 2014. He joined a tournament in New Zealand called the Super 8. Even though he was expected to win, he lost to Anthony Nansen in the first round. This was his last professional fight.

Personal Life

Hasim Rahman was born on November 7, 1972, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a Muslim and has practiced fasting during Ramadan, even when preparing for big fights like the one against Lennox Lewis.

Rahman has survived some very serious accidents in his life. He was in a car accident that left him with scars. He also survived being shot five times. In 2001, Rahman and his family were in another car accident. Rahman was not seriously hurt, but his wife, Crystal, had to go to the hospital.

Hasim Rahman has a son named Hasim Rahman Jr., who is also a professional boxer.

Professional boxing record

See also

In Spanish: Hasim Rahman para niños