2008 Rahman resembles the type of opponent Bruno was often matched with - over-the-hill, overweight, and just there to pick up the pay check. Bruno pounds on him for 7 or 8 rounds until Rahman folds.
A more interesting match-up would have been the Rahman of 2001. If the 1989 Bruno could have got his big shots in first,he would have taken it. The longer the fight went on though,would be better for Rahman's chances. Against the 2008 version ? A shoo-in for Bruno.
Bruno KO1. Seriously. Wlad should have had Rahman out of there in no time, but instead laboured to a 7th round stoppage. A better matchup would be the Bruno of 1995 (McCall) vs Rahman (Lewis I). However, a Bruno from the Lewis fight beats any Rahman.
It to Wlad so long to knock out a washed up Rahman because Wlad's power is overrated. Bruno would of knocked that fat bum out in a round or so and he would do the same to a prime Rahman, if Rahman even had a prime.
Not a particularly fair matchup given the respective point of their careers, but if those are the permaters, then Bruno wins easily. A younger Hasim Rahman who KO'd Lennox Lewis would have been a different and probably interesting affair.
Not particularly fair, but that same Rahman was thrown in with a still prime version of Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF/WBO heavyweight championships. And I've read more than one postor on this forum listing the win/opponent as some sort of credential on Wlad's resume.
I don't know how others view Klitschko's win over Rahman, but it wasn't a legacy defense and nor was it supposed to be. Rahman was nothing more than a last minute replacement who just so happened to be available when they needed him. Wlad was filling space on a ticket as well as keeping busy....Nothing more.. As for Wlad still being in his prime, I'm not sure that I agree. I think his peak days came right around the Calvin Brock fight of maybe 3 years ago.. He's still the best heavyweight in the division, but at 32 years of age and with some 12 years of career behind him, I don't think that he was still primed for the Rahman match..
Why would you post a thread like this:? How about Bruno vs 2001 Rahman? That would be intriguing i might go with Rahman though. The 2008 Rahman gets knocked out in 4 rounds.
I wouldn't call it a last minute replacement, I seem to remember it was at least 4 weeks, maybe 6. Others fighters were available, including two-time Rahman-conqueror Oleg Maskaev who posted appeals to be matched with Wladimir instead of Rahman on this very site. Anyway, the thread matches one of Tyson's challengers against one of Wladimir's. That seems fair, both were deemed suitable to challenge the number 1 fighter in the world at the time. And neither one was a last-minute replacement.
The young Rahman that Tommy Brooks brought up could beat Bruno late. Rahman anywhere after 1997 would lose.
Fair enough, but 6 weeks is still cutting it pretty close. In the boxing world, I think that's about as close to last minute as they come, with the exception of a few bouts that were decided within just a few days.
