What if Rahman would have defended against Tyson instead of the Lewis rematch?

Rodrigues was being touted as a real contender before Holyfield knocked him out.
I guess there were hopes at one point that him v Tyson in a huge football stadium in Brazil might generate a ton of money.

Bonecrusher Smith, fresh of the Tyson debacle, and banned from Tyson undercards on Jim Jacobs' request (that's true, so I heard), went to Brazil in 1987 and got robbed blind against Rodrigues apparently.
After that, until 1989, Adilson was a rated contender.

Dundee trained him when he came to America. He actually won the first round against Holyfield, really took the fight to him, and boxed well, until he ran in to a killer right hand in the 2nd.
Didn't he do something similar against Foreman ? Started off okay, but all went sour in round 2.

 

Tyson fights fellow American Clifford Etienne on February 22, 2003. His opponent this time round is the 8th ranked IBF challenger, whose nickname is the
"Black Rhinoceros". Etienne drew with South Africa's François Botha in his last
fight.

 

Can't beat honesty.

 

In the first fight? That Maskaev right hand is as hard as any heavyweight could ever be hit. Thats the WORST shot to be hit with in boxing. Sharp, accurate, well thrown, bang on the chin as you run into it throwing a haymaker.

Maskaev isn't the hitter Tyson is, but damn sure no man can hit another much harder than that. One of the prettier knockouts ever.

If you've been hit by a hitter like Tua, especially after the bell, when you aren't expecting it and you drop your defenses, a minute just isn't enough time to recover.

Brewster is overrated. No, he isn't as good as Rahman. He has two good wins, against Wlad and Krasniqi, and these did not come from skill. Brewster lacked the experience and the skill to get at Etienne. Etienne was very good; He was just fragile as all get out, and would never last the distance with a guy like Tyson. A rookie Brewster is a great win, but the Brewster who fought Golota would likely have seen him off in a round as well. His best win to that point was Mario Cawley, and he hadn't gone 80 rounds yet. A good win, but irrelevant; Brewster was not even close to as good as Rahman was at that time.

 

What can I say, I like em chinny!

 

What'd you say your most perfect knockout is?

 

Pro debut. One-two down the pipe, his head snapped back like the cross was a jab, he was cross-eyed when I could see his eyes again, and fell straight backward.

Alot like Rahman against Lewis, actually, though obviously against a slob, not the heavyweight king.

I have a lot in common with Hasim, physically. We have the same bodies, his is just a lot darker than mine. And I've always envied his natural aptitude for the sport.

Essentially, a good, big, strong athletic young man decided to put on gloves one day. 10 or so years later, he's heavyweight champ. Lucky sap.

 

Could you tell it was a knockout shot when you landed it?

I was always quite impressed with hasim and it kinda annoys me the way lewis sells him short and doesn't give him his dues.

He mega disappointed me against ruiz though. Poor show that night.

 

I dont really buy the fact that your somehow trying to justify why Rahman got knocked out and would get knocked out again by a pretty wide shot by Lewis. He could be hit and the bigger punchers like Tyson that landed on him were for the most part taking him out. As I said I dont think Tyson could fight a long fight with Rahman, he simply didnt put enough gym time or ring time to prepare himself for a long tough fight, but Rahman was slow and limited and could be hit and that spells doom for a fast starting hard puncher like Tyson.

Curious would you pick Rahman to beat an awkward guy like Frans Botha?

 

Against Botha? Yes.

I think he's a lot better than you give him credit for being.

 

Tyson would have a job getting beyond the jab of a 2001 rahman i'll tell ya that much for nothing.

 

Well guys like Ruiz and Cole and an older Holyfield gave him a lot of problems. Not so much because they were better but they were quicker fighters and somewhat awkward.
Botha was tough awkward and quick. Styles make fights.

 

With no head movement and one good pivot trick? That much should be obvious. The man may have hit like a truck, but that head never moved off center when he hit the millenium.

 

Holyfield awkward?

Rough maybe, but not at all awkward.

Probably the least awkward guy Ive sparred who was world class, and we swapped lumps around the time he fought Hasim.

Cole I'll give you, but I'd argue the Botha was easier to hit and control than Ruiz, who charged hard, clutched like an octopus, and was as herky jerky as anything.

 

Holyfield quick
Ruiz awkward
Cole mobile
Tyson quick and a harder puncher Rahman slowwwwww