Originally published at: On This Day: Lennox Lewis, Altitude and One Perfect Punch – The Night Rahman Shocked the World (2001) – Boxing News
On April 22, 2001, Lennox Lewis lost his heavyweight crown to Hasim Rahman in one of boxing’s biggest upsets—a result shaped by preparation, conditions, and a perfectly timed right hand.
Huge upset and Lennox had to take Rahman to court to get the rematch.
Lennox Lewis avenged all his losses.
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I remember Hagler doing commentary at ringside saying as early as second round - bad signs here for Lewis his mouth is open - as in struggling to breathe.
I remember also how Lewis fan boy JimC was rather upset on here 
I was more angry with Lewis after that fight than anything. You don’t defend world heavyweight title and not prepare fully. He deserved what he got that night
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Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman ESPN brawl.
I don’t know if you guys ever saw this. An ESPN interview gone wrong. 
As you can imagine, the rematch was necessary for both these guys.
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The fight in the studio was a grapple which Rahman proofed he was stronger. Shame for him that they had to box.
Interesting that they had the sense to know that they couldn’t throw punches and risk injury otherwise the contest would be cancelled.
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oh I remember that comment and JimC, now that is a name from the past… funny he ended up moving to Canada from the UK. great guy and yeah he was a massive lewis fan boy lol. As for the rematch we always talk about iconic images in boxing like Ali standing over Liston but for me Rahman landing directly on the crown is one of my all time favourite boxing images…
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watching that studio fight back is cringe… your Gay… bring your sister then whe will see whos gay hahahaha oh man times have changed for the better and yeah if it was Wresteling Rahman would have went 2-0
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Crazy looking back. That final pic will remain timeless. Also outstanding random promotion for Don King that was replayed on every network for weeks and weeks . They had to have watched Rahman being bounced around, rocked and dropped by Sanders and Maskaev in the lead up and convinced all Lewis really needed to do was touch him and he’d fall over. I can’t remember how much focus it received but that elevation had to be hell on Lewis too. Those were the days.
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Oh yeah, that picture of Rahman on the canvas is iconic. Head underneath the crown… arms outstretched… Rahman flat on his back. If I was Lewis, I’d send Hasim a Christmas card every year with that picture on it.
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Rahman was trying to intimidate and get inside the head of Lennox Lewis by banging on the door of the British fight and making noise before they were entering the ring.
That backfired spectacularly.
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Just checked Rahman’s record as always thought he disappeared after this fight.
How wrong I was. Carried on another twelve years or so and fought several big names - Toney, Tua, Wlad, Mcgee, Ruiz, Holyfield etc..
Come to think if it I now remember Rahman getting a nasty head injury in a fight later in his career - like a lump that stuck out like a second forehead.
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I struggle to look at that ffs
Everyone always said that Holyear needed a 3rd glove for his head.
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Know we’ve been here before , but I’ll always contend Holyfield got a bad rap for that one. It was a very physical fight, and both warned for clanging and clinching up inside. Rahman was equally guilty of falling in. All I know is in the exact exchange…the last minute of the 7th when Holyfield poured it on hard…at .51 seconds left he landed a right hand that put a literal dent in Rahmans forehead. Clear as day on slow mo replay. Yeh I went back and looked again . Immediately after that punch the second forehead started. No angels that night, and sure both were physical. But Holyfield was raking that man over clean also. Had him hurt in 3rd, 6th and end of 7th.
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Just watched it. Cheers for the precise times Spic.
Yeah jesus that was from a punch. You see it happen. One second it’s not there then it is after a hard right. Had to turn it off when they show the bump growing. Makes me squirm ffs
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Cheers mate. Kinda makes me miss the old crusty VCR days of scrutinizing fight breakdowns like mini Zapruder films 
. And tbf I’m not claiming Holyfield to be a faultless career runner . But seeing is believing.
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Seems Rahman had a flair for the bizarre. He had the wrestling match with Lewis on the set of ESPN where they ended up crushing a table. That was followed by Lewis’ revenge and that iconic photo of Hasim flat on his back. Then he got that gruesome 2nd head on his forehead against Holyfield.
But don’t forget he had that 1999 fight against Maskaev where he was literally knocked through the ropes and onto the floor outside the ring.
Never a dull moment with this guy.
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