Lewis Delivers a Serious Statement

Saturday night, Lennox Lewis answered back.

After enduring the embarrassment of a fifth-round knockout at the hands of relative unknown Hasim Rahman in April in South Africa, after having everything from his skills to his courage to his manhood challenged, after silently watching Rahman strut and swagger and brag in news conference after news conference, Lewis got his revenge in front of a sellout crowd of 11,400 at Mandalay Bay Events Center with a crushing fourth-round knockout to regain his titles.

“I told you, he was a freshman in the game,” said Lewis. “I just needed focus. I didn’t take it seriously enough the first time.”

The scene has been seen for seven months. Over and over and over again on every sports highlight show on every cable network.

The fighter moves in on his prey and unleashes a powerful right hand that smashes squarely into the jaw of his opponent.

The head jerks sharply, the eyes go blank, the knees falter and collapse and the big man hits the canvas with a devastating thud that lets everyone know he is finished.

That scene was replayed again in eerily similar fashion Saturday night, only with Rahman on the receiving end.

Referee Joe Cortez signaled the fight was over at 1:29 of the fourth round, enabling Lewis (39-2, 29 knockouts) to recapture the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles, thus making him heavyweight champion for a third time, tying Muhammad Ali’s triple reign. Only Evander Holyfield is ahead of them, with four heavyweight crowns.

“His name has been changed,” said Lewis of Rahman (35-3, 29 KOs), letting go of the emotions that had boiled inside of him all these months. “It’s no longer Hasim. It’s Has-been. The belts were on loan. He’s had his 15 minutes of glory. Now the belts are back to me.”

Referring to the fact his knockout had come a round earlier than Rahman’s last spring, Lewis said, “I got my up on him.”

After winning the first three rounds in classic Lewis fashion--circling, moving, using his height advantage to stay out of harm’s way, jabbing and following up with combinations when the openings were there--Lewis, the confidence that was shattered last April restored, moved in on the flailing Rahman in the fourth round.

By then, it was Rahman whose confidence appeared to be shattered. His left eye wasn’t in such good shape, blood trickling from a cut in the corner of the eye.

“I wanted to give him movement,” Lewis said. “He couldn’t take the movement. Every time I reached around with the hook, he stuck out his right arm.”

No argument there.

“I think he was doing a good job,” Rahman said, “of attacking and keeping his distance. I thought his footwork was better this time.”

Lewis began the final sequence with a left hook that barely missed its mark.

But it still proved to be a valuable punch because it forced Rahman to expose his chin.

The right hand that followed left Rahman flat on his back. But as referee Joe Cortez reached the end of the count, Rahman found the strength to struggle to his feet.

But only for an instant.

His legs gave out again and he tumbled off the ropes and onto his face--lights out on his seven months in the sun.

“He is a big, strong guy,” Rahman said, “with enormous weight and he hit me with a good shot.”

His job in the ring over, Lewis continued to jab Rahman with verbal taunts.

“He showed a lot of disrespect to me,” Lewis said. “I was keeping it all inside.”

Their last confrontation prior to the opening bell came when Lewis was ready to have his hands taped in the locker room.

With all of Rahman’s handlers tied up with an earlier fight, Rahman volunteered for the job of inspecting Lewis’ tape.

“He came to my locker room,” Lewis said “and I just laughed at him.”

Now it is Rahman’s turn to pledge himself to a comeback.

“I’m no quitter,” he said. “I got knocked out and that’s something that happens in boxing.”

Heard it all before.

Seen it all before.

Seven months ago.

Oliver McCall, convicted on drug-related charges, didn’t even arrive in town until Thursday because he is permitted to be out of Illinois for only four days at a time under the terms of his parole.

His preliminary 10-rounder against Henry Akinwande on Saturday night was staged before the televised portion of the pay-per-view show even though it was a matchup of former heavyweight champions.

McCall (39-7, 29), a former WBC champion, was sapped of energy, he said, because he was told several times his fight was next, only to learn another fight had been moved ahead of it.

And after nine rounds, McCall was so far behind, a knockout was his only chance of victory.

Despite all that, McCall pulled out a victory by dropping Akinwande (40-2-1, 26), a former World Boxing Organization titleholder, with a right hand that ended the fight at the 2:13 mark of the final round.

“I’m just happy to be back,” said McCall.