Rahman proving Sailer's theory that blacks are better at talking trash.
Rahman Says Klitschko Won't Go Past Ninth
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE - Hasim Rahman predicted Wednesday that Vitali Klitschko won't make it past the ninth round of their WBC heavyweight title fight, saying the 6-foot-8 champion will take an unprecedented beating before being forced to quit.
Klitschko, of Ukraine, will face Rahman in a scheduled 12-round bout in Las Vegas on Nov. 12. It will be Rahman's most important fight since Nov. 17, 2001, when he lost the WBC and IBF heavyweight title in a rematch with Lennox Lewis.
Rahman (41-5-1) began his comeback in earnest last year, and will bring a six-bout winning streak into the fight against the favored Klitschko (35-2).
"The comeback won't be complete until I win the title," Rahman said by conference call from his camp in Bend, Ore. "He's going to hit me and I'm going to hit him. I truly believe that I'm going to hit him harder than he's ever been hit. We'll see how he responds."
Rahman, 32, figures the 34-year-old Klitschko won't be able to take it for long.
"The first four or five rounds it will be an all-out war. After the fifth round, he belongs to me," Rahman said. "He will throw in the towel between the fifth and ninth rounds."
Told of this prediction, Klitschko chuckled and decided against offering up a verbal counter punch.
"I want to give my comment inside the ring," the champion said from Los Angeles in a conference call. "Let's see what happens."
Klitschko is, however, aware that Rahman won the title in April 2001 by staggering Lewis in the fifth round with a crushing right cross.
"Every single punch can decide the fight. I know he's a big puncher, a good boxer," he said.
The fight was first scheduled for April 30, but was pushed back twice because of injuries to Klitschko before the champion's camp announced April 20 he had undergone surgery to remove a small spur from his spine, sidelining him through the summer.
This will be his first fight since December 2004, when he won the title by dominating Danny Williams.
"I'm hungry about boxing because the break has been so long," Klitschko said.
Rahman has been accused of giving a lackluster performance in fights in which he is perceived to be the favorite, a shortcoming he acknowledged was "a big flaw of my career."
But that won't be a problem against Klitschko, a strapping 250-pounder who packs power in both hands.
"I'm turning the corner. I'm putting in hard work," Rahman said. "I will not be denied. I'm just waiting to be sworn in as the next heavyweight champion."
The fight is being promoted by Bob Arum, who put up $12 million and expects to net $25 million, with most of the money coming from tickets sales and pay-per-view receipts.
"This is important for boxing," said Arum, CEO of Top Rank. "As heavyweight boxing goes, so goes the rest of boxing."
Arum promoted 25 fights for Muhammad Ali and 22 for George Foreman, so he knows a thing or two about the heavyweight division  even though this is the first heavyweight fight he's gotten behind in more than a decade.
Arum is not associated with either fighter, so his view of the match is supposedly impartial. He won't pick a winner, but believes Rahman has a very good chance to unseat the champion.
"There are very few good American heavyweights, but Rahman has demonstrated that's he one of them  if he's focused," Arum said. "Nobody doubts how athletic he is and what a good puncher he is. His problem is a lack of focus, but that's not going to be a problem in this match. He's been training like a madman, so you're going to see the best possible Rahman that there is."
Rahman Says Klitschko Won't Go Past Ninth
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE - Hasim Rahman predicted Wednesday that Vitali Klitschko won't make it past the ninth round of their WBC heavyweight title fight, saying the 6-foot-8 champion will take an unprecedented beating before being forced to quit.
Klitschko, of Ukraine, will face Rahman in a scheduled 12-round bout in Las Vegas on Nov. 12. It will be Rahman's most important fight since Nov. 17, 2001, when he lost the WBC and IBF heavyweight title in a rematch with Lennox Lewis.
Rahman (41-5-1) began his comeback in earnest last year, and will bring a six-bout winning streak into the fight against the favored Klitschko (35-2).
"The comeback won't be complete until I win the title," Rahman said by conference call from his camp in Bend, Ore. "He's going to hit me and I'm going to hit him. I truly believe that I'm going to hit him harder than he's ever been hit. We'll see how he responds."
Rahman, 32, figures the 34-year-old Klitschko won't be able to take it for long.
"The first four or five rounds it will be an all-out war. After the fifth round, he belongs to me," Rahman said. "He will throw in the towel between the fifth and ninth rounds."
Told of this prediction, Klitschko chuckled and decided against offering up a verbal counter punch.
"I want to give my comment inside the ring," the champion said from Los Angeles in a conference call. "Let's see what happens."
Klitschko is, however, aware that Rahman won the title in April 2001 by staggering Lewis in the fifth round with a crushing right cross.
"Every single punch can decide the fight. I know he's a big puncher, a good boxer," he said.
The fight was first scheduled for April 30, but was pushed back twice because of injuries to Klitschko before the champion's camp announced April 20 he had undergone surgery to remove a small spur from his spine, sidelining him through the summer.
This will be his first fight since December 2004, when he won the title by dominating Danny Williams.
"I'm hungry about boxing because the break has been so long," Klitschko said.
Rahman has been accused of giving a lackluster performance in fights in which he is perceived to be the favorite, a shortcoming he acknowledged was "a big flaw of my career."
But that won't be a problem against Klitschko, a strapping 250-pounder who packs power in both hands.
"I'm turning the corner. I'm putting in hard work," Rahman said. "I will not be denied. I'm just waiting to be sworn in as the next heavyweight champion."
The fight is being promoted by Bob Arum, who put up $12 million and expects to net $25 million, with most of the money coming from tickets sales and pay-per-view receipts.
"This is important for boxing," said Arum, CEO of Top Rank. "As heavyweight boxing goes, so goes the rest of boxing."
Arum promoted 25 fights for Muhammad Ali and 22 for George Foreman, so he knows a thing or two about the heavyweight division  even though this is the first heavyweight fight he's gotten behind in more than a decade.
Arum is not associated with either fighter, so his view of the match is supposedly impartial. He won't pick a winner, but believes Rahman has a very good chance to unseat the champion.
"There are very few good American heavyweights, but Rahman has demonstrated that's he one of them  if he's focused," Arum said. "Nobody doubts how athletic he is and what a good puncher he is. His problem is a lack of focus, but that's not going to be a problem in this match. He's been training like a madman, so you're going to see the best possible Rahman that there is."
