Heavyweights primed for rematch

Dean Juipe

Friday, Nov. 16, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

Lennox Lewis says he will retire if he loses to Hasim Rahman Saturday night in the Mandalay Bay Events Center, while Rahman believes Lewis should already have hung up his boxing gear.

Lewis, 36, has modest goals at this stage of his career. He would like to avenge his April loss to Rahman, fight Mike Tyson next year and gently leave a sport that already has been worth at least $50 million to him.

Rahman, conversely, feels he is just coming into his own at the age of 29 and would prefer to ride out his stay atop the heavyweight division with three or four big-money fights and then retire as he turns 31.

Which man will be able to follow his stated path will be determined by a pay-per-view fight that is worth a minimum of $10 million to each of them.

"I don't want to be boxing into my 30s like Lennox is," Rahman said. "I don't see him being any better, skill wise and conditioning wise, than he was when he was fighting Evander (Holyfield, two years ago)."

Lewis bristles at the over-the-hill connotations of Rahman's remarks, and swears he has upgraded his arsenal for the rematch of a fight he lost by fifth-round knockout April 22 in South Africa.

"There's more to come," he said. "My career hasn't ended yet.

"I've been there before and I know how to get there again."

Twice the heavyweight champion, Lewis has faced a laundry list of quality fighters in a professional career that is now in its 12th year. He is 38-2-1 with 29 knockouts and is 2-for-2 thus far when it comes to beating a man who either defeated him (as was the case with Oliver McCall) or held him to a draw (as was the case with Holyfield) in a first meeting.

Lewis is a minus 340 betting favorite in the Mandalay Bay sports book.

Rahman is a plus 280 underdog.

There are an assortment of proposition bets to choose from, including Rahman by knockout (4-1), Lewis by knockout (2-3), Rahman by decision (8-1) and Lewis by decision (8-5).

Rahman is 35-2 with 29 KOs but is no match in comparison to Lewis in terms of top-level experience. Prior to defeating Lewis, Rahman's best win may have been over someone as nondescript as Obed Sullivan.

The losses on his ledger are to David Tua and Oleg Maskaev, each by knockout, although the one to Tua occurred under questionable conditions.

"I like the underdog role," Rahman said. "I wish it was 20-1."

Promoter Don King has stayed close to both men this week, hoping to bond with whichever man emerges as the winner. Neither Rahman nor Lewis has a long-term TV deal in place, although in Rahman's case it's because he turned down a lucrative proposal from HBO last summer.

"We're rolling the dice," King said with Rahman by his side. "We're gambling that Rock will be seen as a star, a breath of fresh air. He's not intending to lose and we want to know how much we're going to get if we win."

A fight with Tyson, apt to be worth $20 million apiece, is likely awaiting either Lewis or Rahman. King says he can do the deal even though he and Tyson still have lawsuits pending against each other.

"I have no problem with Tyson; Tyson thinks he has a problem with me," King said. "My arms are open to him."

As for the history of heavyweight championship rematches, 12 have been held but in only three instances did the man defeated the first time come back and win the encore.

"Just like he was taken off guard in South Africa, I'm going to bring a host of new things to this fight," Rahman said. "I feel I'm going to knock him out again."

A sharp right hand ended their first fight, but Lewis sees it as a fluke and believes he was only moments away from a TKO win when Rahman decked him as he twisted near the ropes.

"Looking at the tape, he was stroking the blood from his eyes and looking at the referee," Lewis said. "If that was an indication (that Rahman was ready to quit), then, yes, it was almost over then."

A knockout of his own would pacify Lewis' desire for revenge, although he says he won't rush it.

"Yes, a knockout would be great," he said. "I would love that. But in the last fight I tried to do it, and I'm not going to get caught up in that again.

"I'll simply take advantage if the opportunity arises."

But Rahman says it won't.

"He's getting right back in the ring with one of the hardest punchers, if not the hardest puncher, in the division," he said. "Lennox might be more aware this time but there's nothing he can do to stop me.

"He goes in with one thing on his mind and if it doesn't go as expected, he can't adjust. And I'm not going to look the same to him as I did in South Africa."

The pay-per-view portion of the mammoth card -- which has 98 scheduled rounds -- begins at 6 p.m. and Rahman vs. Lewis should go about three hours later. Tickets remain and the fight is also available locally on pay-per-view and at 14 closed-circuit sites.