Just rewatched fight: Rahman quit because he knew he couldn't win

The fight is on YouTube now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MqwVf4sddE (1/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=488rtv3obtg&feature=user (2/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ZU5JaWyGY&feature=user (3/3)

Here is an interview with Toney after the fight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ij9gN5W3k

As the fight moved along, Toney was increasingly countering and catching Rahman and was only beginning to get into his groove. Rahman, conversely, was finding it harder and harder to land on Toney and to avoid getting hit by his opponent. Near the end of the 3rd round, Rahman tried to pressure Toney and paid for it by taking at least one flush shot to the chin.

Simply put, The Crock knew what was coming down the pipe for him: A sustained beating and the distinct possibility of ending up on his back. Compared with this outcome, quitting on his stool must have been a favorable alternative.

Rahman's straight-ahead style couldn't cope with a fit Toney who was giving him all kinds of angles. The fight was beginning to settle into Rahman getting potshotted and mugged. Both men knew it and Has-been couldn't do anything about it, as his unproductive pressure attempt near the end of the 3rd showed.

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. It was a calculated and foolish decision, and The Crock played it very poorly: You let the doctor look at the cut thoroughly before saying you can't see and don't want to continue.

Regardless of whether he quit on his stool like a chump as he did or if he had continued, Rahman was on his way to a loss last night against the better man, Toney.

The only difference now is that he has to live with the label of being a quitter as well as having been TKO'd by a nearly 40-year-old, fat, blown-up middleweight. Rahman received two KO's last night -- one inside the squared circle and one in the minds of fight fans everywhere who consider Has-been's ever-worsening reputation. Alongside the destruction at the hands of Lewis and the debacles against Maskaev now sits this white-towel wave by the former champion.

Unlike valiant Vitali Klitschko's bout against that same Lennox Lewis, Antonio Margarito's tilts with Daniel Santos or Sugar Ray Leonard's first match versus Tommy Hearns, Rahman voluntarily gave up. By doing so, what little respect was left for a man once knocked cold out of the ring is as gone now as are his fleeting title-shot hopes.

Hasim Rahman, one-time conqueror of Lennox Lewis, has revealed to the world his true character:

Heartless quitter.

It is a sad career-capper for a man many felt was destined for far greater things. Given this performance, one can't help but reflect on Hasim's good fortune to have never had his scheduled bout with Vitali Klitschko go through. With Hasim's lack of fortitude and the elder Klitschko's destructive firepower and killer instinct, Rahman could have missed several more paydays after being utterly obliterated by the towering Ukranian.

Although, it could be argued, such a thrashing may have saved Rahman from the ignominity he suffered last night. Better, perhaps, to suffer another Lewis beatdown or knocked-out-of-the-ring KO from Klitschko than to be regarded as having no will.

*

Congratulations go out to the man who scored the TKO, James Toney. Though he will never be mistaken for a bodybuilder, Lights Out executed his gameplan and made his man give up by peppering him with counters while using his slick defense to avoid taking any real punishment. Toney said he was in shape and clearly was, much to his foe's dismay.

Rahman's days as a fringe contender are likely over following his knockout defeat.

For multiple-division champion Toney, however, his quest for one of the 4 major heavyweight belts continues.

 

Scar and Sues - Don't know if you're Rahman 'huggers or just embarrassed you got the call wrong on your predictions, but you're both way off. I think and hope you both know boxing better than this.

Toney won the 2nd round on Marotta's and Thompkins' card, as well as my own. He lost the final two rounds of the fight and was getting torn up in the 3rd. It was only a matter of time. As someone noted above, Rahman looks for ways out of fights, and that is what he was doing and did here. This was his last big shot, and he knew he couldn't blow it. But he was blowing it and so he quit and hoped he could get a NC. He didn't, and shouldn't have. Here are my notes from rounds 2-3:


2nd:
JT waves HR in
Big right over the top, stuns HR
BT: "HR letting JT get into comfort zone"
HR not throwing
HR tries flurry at end, caught with left hook. Punches too wide by HR
JT did exactly what he said to Jay Glazer: Start coming down to body in round 2 or so and over the top with hooks; he is on his game

After 2nd Rahman's corner told him "He's trying to lure you in and you're falling for it"

3rd:
Started 3rd with little flurry, HR
JT "Lulling him to sleep," as per plan
"Toney is in his comfort zone"
(HR, like PBF with AM and PW, knew what was going to happen. Tried to cut it short as PBF did by retiring. Heading off the problem at the pass)
JT gets inside, peppering HR with HR's wide hooks doing nothing
Clubbing lead right by JT; easily finding his range and HR can't do anything
Short inside left hook from JT
JT dropping hands and wading in
Cut affecting HR mentally
Big right over the top from JT as HR wades in
HR cannot find range
"Rahman's letting Toney fight his fight"
Big right inside for JT after a jab
Huge 1-2 from JT staggers HR
HR winging wild hooks, not hitting anything. Looping punches not effective vs JT
Big counter right from JT
HR tries to press JT to ropes, eats a huge right counter at end of round

(Only a matter of time before HR KO'd)

HR quits on stool!

HR said he quit b/c can't see punches. In other words, he knows he's getting tagged. Does not think
can hang; knew this was his last shot and couldn't get it done
(HR thought the fight would go one way, realized it was not going to happen. So he quit)

*

Toney was eating up Rahman, and was on his way to stopping a loop-punch-throwing Has-been. It was, as I wrote, merely a matter of time.

No one was a bigger fan of The Crock than I was after he beat Lenny. But this is who Rahman is. He isn't jack, and was getting exposed against Toney.

I'm sorry if that hurts, but it's the truth.

Rahman quit for a reason. He knew what was happening. In the 3rd round Toney was clowing him with dropped hands and landing at will. Rahman pressed, and got tagged with a counter right at the bell. This was all leading to the same end, and both men knew it.

Rahman with the towel-toss from the stool.

Toney TKO3 Rahman.