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Versus Fight Night LiveRecap

June 15, 2007

Main Street Armory-Rochester, New York

NABF Interim Heavyweight (201+) 10 Round Championship Match:

Hasim Rahman (41-6-2, 33 KO's, 261 pounds) vs. Taurus Sykes (25-3-1, 7 KO's, 238pounds)

This title is currently vacant.The lastboxer to hold this championshipwas Samuel Peter.

Rahman is the former WBC and IBF Heavyweight Champion. He won both of those titles as a 20 to 1 underdog, by knocking out then champ Lennox Lewis in 2001. The match in South Africa was largely considered a fluke victory for Rahman, however. Lewis flew around the world from the United States, less then two days before the match to acclimate to the conditions, so he could film boxing scenes in the movie Ocean's Eleven. Rahman's victory was credited to an unfocused and slightly out of shape champion, rather than to being a skilled boxer. A rematch with Lewis would reinforce that perception, because Lewis won by knockout, in round 4.

Rahman lost a memorable 2002 number one contender's match, for another shot at Lewis' title with Evander Holyfield. The match wasprematurely sent to the scorecards, bythe largest bump in recent boxing memory,forming on Rahman's head. That caused the referee on the advice of the doctor to stop the match to prevent further damage from the unforgettable injury. Thestill growing softball sized lump on Rahman's head was ruled to have come from anunintentional clash of heads, and the scorecards gave Holyfield a split decision victory.

In August 2005, Rahman won the interim WBC Heavyweight Championship, while waiting for a title shot at the actual champion in Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko, retired due to injuries, before he could face Rahman, and Rahman was awarded the full WBC Championship. After successfullykeeping the titlevia champions advantage,in a draw with James Toney, in March 2006. Rahman then lostthe beltin August 2006 to Oleg Maskaev, via round 12 TKO, in a mandatory title defense. Rahman was ahead on the scorecards when that match was stopped. Rahman has not competed in the ring since then.

Rahman is in terrible shape for this match. He is coming in at the heaviest weight of his career, and at least 20 poundsheavier then he needs to be to box effectively. Rahman does have a lot of muscle on his frame, but admits that he is not in shape to face a boxer he respects.

Sykes has almost no power in his punches and his best chance to win is in a decision where Rahman runs out of gas. His last match was in December of 2006 and prior to thatSykes was knocked out in April 2006 to a boxer less skilled, then the 34-year-old Rahman. Sykes is two years younger at 32-years-old. They are both 6' 2" tall. Sykes matched Rahman by showing up to this match carrying at least an extra twenty pounds of weight more then he needs to box at his best. There is a huge reach advantage for Rahman as he possesses an 81" reach compared to the 71" reach of Sykes. Both of the lightweights in the opening match had a 70" reach. Sykes is going to need to get inside with Rahman, or he will have no chance.

The same rules that were in effect for the previous contest are in effect here.

Round 1 to Rahman, 10-9. Sykes landed some very effective punches in round 2 and it might have been enough to win it. Sykes wins round 2, 10-9. With 20 seconds to go in round 3, Sykes receives his final warning before a point is taken away for hitting low. It is too early for the referee to start taking a point away. Mostof the Sykes punches called low were borderline calls on the beltline, not octave raising shots. Sykes wins round 3 on my card based on volume of punching, 10-9. This match is terrible, both men are already tired. Thehorriblecardiovascular shapeof the boxers would explain why this championship match is 10 rounds, instead of the usual 12 rounds that a normal championship match goes. After three rounds my scorecard has Sykes ahead 29-28.

Rahman wins round 4, 10-9. This match is terrible, whatever boxing skills Rahman had are gone. The two boxers are grasping onto each otherto rest for over half the round. Versus has the same score through 4 rounds that I do, a tie, 38-38. The commentators have revealed, as in the middle of round 5 Sykes is gasping for breath, that it was his (Sykes)people who insisted on only a ten round contest. Rahman wins round 5, 10-9, and the apocalypse cannot come fast enough. Versus and I have it scored the same after 5 rounds in favor of Rahman, 48-47. When the color commentator was asked how he had the match scored after 5 rounds, he accurately replied, "I have it boring."

The commentators joke that these two men signed a non-aggression pact for this bout. With 57 seconds to go in round 6 action is halted because Rahman lost his mouthpiece and it needs to be replaced. Both men then lumber over to the respective corners they are supposed tostand in or lay on to get as much rest as possible in this case, from the laying on each other they have been doing the rest of the time. ThenRahman's corner"misplaces" his mouthpiece and this takes a minute, so Rahman can lay on the corner longer, before action is restarted. Rahman wins round 6, 10-9. There was a tackle in the ropes by Rahman on Sykes as the round concluded, that was correctly ruled a slip. To start round 7 the referee brings the boxers to the center of the ring and tells them to clean up the bout or he will start getting involved. If only the the Pride yellow card system were in effect for this match... Round 7 goes to Rahman, 10-9. My scorecard through7 rounds has it in favor of Rahman, 68-65.

Rahman, who has the huge reach advantage, keeps bulling in and forcing the action to be in close quarters.Hence,giving away his reach advantage. Rahman on the outside landing jabs and other longer punches has been effective, but then he gasses out, falls in and clinches. The only reason this match is still going isbecauseRahman is completely out of shape. One of the announcers said he hadresolved between rounds to if he could not say something nice, not say anything at all. Thatwouldleavehis broadcast partner flying solo for the rest of the telecast. Rahman wins round 8, 10-9, because Sykes is not doing anything. The announcers are admitting their scorecards are unreliable at this point, because they cannot pay close attention to this garbage.

With 1:20 to go in round 9, Sykes hits Rahman with a left uppercut,square in the package, and is deducted a point. Time is called at the same time to attend to some loose tape on Sykes' right glove, while Rahman recovers. The crowd booing, which it has been doing to various degrees since the early rounds of this abomination, has picked up. The crowd is not booing the low blow, because they are well past caring about the result of this match. They are actually, booing the fact time was called to prolong their agony. This crowd must have rights under the Geneva Convention. Sykes was on his way to winning the round,or at least walking out with an even round, 9-9, after the point deduction but was knocked down with less then 10 seconds to go in round 9. The replay reveals that it was a right uppercut that sent Sykes to the mat. Rahman wins the most action packed round of the match, 10-7. The round, however,was still terrible to watch. Through 9 rounds, I have Rahman ahead, 88-81. Sykes needs to score a knockout with his non-existent punching power to win.

In round 10, Versus does some crazy split screen thing with the camera and then my picture goes out for a few seconds. Sykes goes down with less then 10 seconds to go in round 10, but it is ruled a slip and that may not be the right call. It is however irrelevant. Assuming the fall was a slip, and based on everything else that was said about what happened when my picture went away, Sykes wins round 10, 10-9. Rahman wins on my card, 97-92. He is assuredly going to be booed upon hearing the decision.

Here is the official decision the judges score the match: 95-93, 99-90, 97-91, all for the winner by unanimous and new NABF Interim Heavyweight Champion, Hasim "The Rock" Rahman. The crowd as promised, boos the decision. Their anger ismore at the terrible match, then the outcome. The win moves Rahman to 42-6-2 with 33 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

The announcers sadly point out, that Rahman may still get, another title shot, because of his name value. Anyone,that pays to seea Rahman title match after this performance, either has no idea about boxing, or is a masochist. The final CompuBox numbers are that Rahman threw 628 punches andlanded 223 of them, good for a 36% connect percentage. Sykes threw 511 punches and landed 169 of them, good for a 33% connect percentage. Rahman's effort here showed a lack of dedication to the sport in not even bothering to get in shape forthe match.

The main event was unwatchable and should be avoided at all costs.