The Return of Hasim Rahman?

Comebacks in the sport of Boxing is something that is as old as the sport itself. In the 1980s, however, two legends of the ring, Sugar Ray Leonard and the late great George Foreman made the concept of a fighter coming out of retirement for a would be “Comeback" popular.

While the idea of a fighter coming out of retirement after a lengthy absence to attempt a comeback either in search of recapturing past glory and/or for financial reasons will always get people's attention, most would be accurate to state that the most successful of all the comebacks ever attempted throughout the whole history of the sport would be that of Foreman's, who famously returned to Boxing as a means of funding the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in his native Houston, TX in an effort to further his outreach as a practicing pastor, in his 40s and regained the World Heavyweight championship at age 45 in 1994 and in the process, became the oldest fighter to ever become World Heavyweight champion, a record he still holds to this day.

Although this observer can spend countless hours talking about the achievements of both Foreman and Leonard as two of my influences who I watched as a kid and were fortunate to cover in my early days as a writer covering combat sports, with Boxing as my primary, in more recent years, thanks to the influx of exhibitions becoming a defacto circuit of the sport, it has in some ways, unfortunately become common to see ex fighters mix it up with either fellow ex boxers, social media influencers, or stars from another sport, we have seen these fighters step back in at far more advanced ages than Foreman or Leonard ever did, which puts the hysteria and concerns for their safety that both legends faced prior to their famed comebacks in perspective.

Most are familiar with the exploits of two other Hall of Famers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, who each got back in the ring at ages closer to sixty than forty to participate in exhibitions and in Tyson's case, one official fight, two instances that had controversy attached to both fighters, no fighters has made an attempt to surpass Foreman's record since he set it thirty-two years ago. In good conscience, yours truly feels that is more of a good thing than it should be viewed as a negative. Both from a standpoint of the significance of Foreman's achievement, as well as the inherent risks that become an increased probability as fighters age.

Some may recall the comeback attempt of former longtime Heavyweight contender Donovan “Razor" Ruddock, who at age fifty-one in 2015,  climbed back in the ring. The former top contender, who shared the ring with many of the top Heavyweights of the 1980s and 1990s including six former world champions got himself in what can only be described as immaculate shape and to his credit, won two fights against fighters named Raymond Olubowale and Eric Barrak, before all hopes for a comeback approaching contender status were halted by Dillon Carman in a failed bid by the Canadian-based Rudduck to regain the Canadian Heavyweight championship he won in 1988, in what was described as a brutal third round knockout.

With the exception of Tyson, who’s exhibition against Roy Jones in 2020 and his official bout against Jake Paul in 2024, would not be considered legitimate comeback attempts, and the fairly recent return of former WBC World Heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, both fighters closer to age sixty than they were when either were considered contenders, I personally have not given much thought to the idea of not just a Heavyweight, but of any fighter attempting what would be considered a serious comeback post the age of fifty. Not because it would not peak my interest, but because frankly, there are not many fighters around that are making such attempts.

It did, however, come as a bit of a surprise to yours truly when I recently learned that former World Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman would be making such an attempt at age fifty-three. Rahman, as some may recall, is a former two-time World Heavyweight champion, who like Rudduck and McCall, shared the ring with many of the top Heavyweights of his era. Unlike Rudduck and more similar to McCall, however, he does not always get the respect afforded to many who have been a World Heavyweight champion, despite winning a world title twice during his career.

The similarity is that like Oliver McCall, Rahman’s reigns as champion were relatively short between when the titles were won and lost in terms of time. Nevertheless, through the ups and downs that typically comes with a long career inside the Boxing ring, Rahman was still one of the best fighters of his era in the Heavyweight division.

One does have to wonder, however, what the motivation might be for Rahman at fifty-three years old to get back into active competition. For his part, Rahman has stated that his bout on July 14th at the ESL Ballpark in Rochester, NY against an unnamed opponent as of this writing will be an attempt to get himself into position to challenge for another world title with the ultimate goal of breaking George Foreman’s record. While that may indeed be part of the motivation here, some may also speculate that an underlying motivation could be financial. After all, many professional athletes for one reason or another experience financial difficulties after their active careers end and it would not be unheard of to think of a former world champion boxer being enticed to return to the ring to solve whatever difficulties they might be going through financially. For better or worse Boxing does offer a quicker than normal path for those blessed with the ability, to make money in an expedited form as compared to other occupations and/or for those who were not fortunate to be blessed with the gift to be a world-class boxer.  

Although Rahman has not indicated that he is motivated by finances, the idea of being in a position to secure a lucrative payday, especially given his name recognition, has to have been at least thought of. Regardless of what his motivation truly is, what should be of concern to anyone who truly cares for him is when he retired in 2014, he ended his career off two consecutive losses with his last fight coming in a Super 8 Heavyweight tournament where he lost a three round decision to a fighter named Anthony Nansen, a fighter who at the time of that fight held in Auckland, New Zealand, had a record of 3-3, with 1 Knockout going into that bout.

While the perception for the last several years prior to that outing and his knockout loss to longtime Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin prior to that was that Rahman was competitively past his peak, often a layoff of a decade or more may rest and recoup the body, that length of inactivity does not reverse the gradual eroding of skills and slowed reflexes that often are the telltale signs of an aging fighter. As heralded and historic as George Foreman's comeback proved to be, it is important to remember that he spent the first couple of years of that comeback fighting against fighters who were deliberately overmatched and it allowed him to adequately get himself back in fighting shape by fighting often where when he gradually did step up his level of competition, he was ready and proved he could hold his own against the top Heavyweights of the late 1980s and 1990s. 

At fifty-three years old, one has to wonder what type of commitment Rahman will have if he is able to string together a couple of wins. What is a concern to this observer beyond the obvious eroding skills that were present when he retired and have likely become more visible with age is because he is considerably older than Foreman was when he began his comeback, the plan will likely be to get a few wins under his belt in an expedited manner and attempt to move him into position to challenge for a world title sooner than later because obviously time is not on his side and the idea of him getting an opportunity based on name recognition value more so than whether he's ready to compete against a contender or world champion, unfortunately seems more likely than not.

Hasim Rahman is a smart man, it is my hope regardless of who may be his opponent in July that he, knowing the history of successful and failed comebacks, will evaluate his performance on a fight by fight basis and will make a decision on whether it is wise to continue before the risk of injury becomes more of an increasing issue.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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ROY JONES JR. - MANDEEP JANGRA IS ENTHUSIASTIC AHEAD OF TSENDBAATAR ERDENEBAT CLASH

Press Release: June 13, 2023 By ProBox TV - Wednesday Night Fights returns to ProBox TV in just one day's time with a mouth watering all undefeated clash in the super featherweight division between Tsendbaatar Erdenebat and Mandeep Jangra. 

Credit: ProBox TV 

An intriguing match-up that sees two successful amateurs put their undefeated records on the line in Plant City, Florida. Both medalled regularly at recognised tournaments, the pair also making a successful transition, so far, in the professional circuit. Jangra (4-0, 3 KOs) won silver medals at both the Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Erdenebat (6-0, 3 KOs) scored medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games and competed at the Olympics.

The Indian amateur standout recently signed management terms with boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. who spoke about his fighters chances on Wednesday night. 

“Mandeep looks really good in training, he is really enthusiastic about the fight. He knows the Mongol can fight, he’s an exceptional fighter. I want to see the Mongolian in person myself, but you know Mandeep is not your regular kind of guy, he’s coming to fight. 

“It’s a beautiful fight for both fighters. Both guys are a little bit older, they both have excellent experience. It will be an awesome fight to see. For Mandeep, this is the first time he is going into deep water like this. But, we got to see where he is at, so we know where to go with him. At 30 years old he gotta start pushing, you know. We will do this first fight and move on to the next one after this.”

Tsendbaatar Erdenebat and Mandeep Jangra is part of a great night of action live on ProBox TV with an all-star commentary team and analysis from Paulie Malignaggi, Chris Algieri and Mike Goldberg.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: ProBox TV Used with permission.

For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, full event archive, and additional content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProboxTV.com. 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Triller Fight Club Debut Thoughts

 

The highly anticipated debut of Triller’s Fight Club series carried with it a sense of intrigue. Following the success of the company’s first foray into the sport of Boxing last November, which was headlined by the eight round exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, the introduction of the Fight Club series as well as the company’s acquisition of digital combat sports and entertainment streaming network FITE TV were an indication that Triller was not interested in a one-off venture, but rather to enter Boxing in the promotional realm. This events also followed on the heels of the company acquiring the rights to promote the June 5^th Undisputed Lightweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Teofimo Lopez and unbeaten mandatory challenger George Kambosos.

 

Off those acquisitions and looking to build on what some might view as surprising success of their first event in Boxing last November, Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, played host to the debut of Triller’s Fight Club pay-per-view series on April 17^th that was streamed globally by FITE TV. The presentation of this Boxing card, which featured Jake Paul facing MMA veteran Ben Askren in the main event in a Cruiserweight bout, was not what one would expect of a normal Boxing broadcast as the event featured musical performances as well as a loose presentation by the broadcast team working the event that included veteran broadcasters Al Bernstein and Ray Flores. While the looseness included more than occasional explicit language as well as other elements seen on camera that might turn some Boxing purists off, this observer saw it as an attempt to mix Boxing and entertainment aspects into one hybrid. It should also not be overlooked that Triller has also succeeded in bringing mainstream attention to the sport.

 

While some may have expected a more standard Boxing presentation, I felt for the most part Triller succeeded in providing an entertaining evening of Boxing and music rolled into one package. In terms of what occurred in the ring that evening, it was also interesting. Along with the Paul-Askren bout, the card also featured two bouts that had similar interests. One of those bouts in the Heavyweight division saw former IBF Cruiserweight world champion Steve Cunningham scoring a six round unanimous decision over former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight world champion Frank Mir.

 

As we have seen before when boxers face MMA fighters in bouts contested under MMA rules, or when MMA fighters step into the Boxing ring, there can be a difference in experience and polish that more often than not favors the fighter who’s primary combat sports discipline is one where the bout is being fought. The forty-one year old Mir, who was making his professional Boxing debut in this bout had some sporadic success in being able to land punches on Cunningham, but Cunningham’s overall offensive output and skillset was the difference in an otherwise uneventful bout.

 

The second preliminary bout that took place on the card that could have some implications going forward took place in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division between former WBA Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis and former United States Boxing Association (USBA) Lightweight champion Ivan Redkach. Prograis, who was in his second bout since losing his world title in a unification bout with Josh Taylor as part of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Jr. Welterweight tournament in October 2019, systematically broke the normally durable Redkach down with a body/head attack. It was this attack that floored Redkach in round six as a result of a clean body shot. Although video replays confirmed that the punch was legal, it was incorrectly ruled an accidental foul by Referee Jim Korb. Because of this ruling, the bout was stopped when Redkach, who would be removed from the ring on a stretcher could not continue.

 

Although Prograis, who had won every round on two official scorecards and was ahead five rounds to one on the third official scorecard, was declared winner by technical decision, the official result was changed in the days following the card by the Georgia State Athletic Commission (GSAC) to a sixth round technical knockout in favor of Prograis, effectively correcting the errant ruling initially made by Referee Jim Korb. With two victories under his belt since his loss to Taylor, Prograis should be in position to challenge for a world championship again in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division or perhaps the 147lb. Welterweight division.

 

This brings us to the main event of the inaugural Triller Fight Club series where Jake Paul scored a first round knockout of Ben Askren in 1:59. A single yet perfectly timed right hand to the head floored Askren. Although Askren was able to get up, he was on unsteady legs and the bout was stopped by Referee Brian Stutts.

 

While this officially marked the third win in Paul’s Boxing career, he still faces much criticism as well as unanswered questions as none of the three victories have come against someone with Boxing experience. Paul himself has stated that he does take the sport seriously and that people should view him as a serious boxer. 

 

For now, this observer will give him the benefit of the doubt, but it is understandable how some might criticize the influx of Youtubers and other notables who have chosen to enter the sport simply because to date, none of these individuals have faced people with legitimate Boxing backgrounds in official bouts. One does however, need to keep in mind that individuals in Paul’s position, who are relatively new to Boxing do not acquire the experience of seasoned fighters overnight and if he is indeed serious about his commitment as a boxer, it will take time for him to develop. Such development however, needs to occur against fighters who have legitimate Boxing backgrounds and training.

 

While the subject of “Celebrity Boxing” has always been one that is viewed as tongue and cheek because some do not take it seriously, Boxing is a serious sport as well as a dangerous one. As someone who has seen more than one life unfortunately end as a result of injuries sustained in the Boxing ring, I hope anyone and everyone who thinks of getting into a ring treats the sport with the seriousness and respect that it deserves.

 

As for Triller, with two events successfully completed, we will see what is next for Boxing’s newest promotional entity. Although both the Tyson-Jones exhibition and debut of Triller’s Fight Club series are likely to be viewed as successful, much like the influx of new entrants into the Boxing ring, Triller might be tasked with trying to figure out what they want to be. Whether they want to be regarded as a player in the Boxing promotional space where the aim is always to try to put on the best/most competitive fights possible featuring the biggest stars in the sport, or if it will be more of a stage where influencers from other realms can test the waters to see if Boxing is for them, while mixing music and entertainment into one package. 

 

With at least two more Triller Fight Club events planned in the coming months including the June 5^th Lopez-Kambosos Lightweight world championship bout, we may find out. For now, Triller has succeeded both in providing entertainment and drawing mainstream attention, whether that translates into something the Boxing enthusiast will embrace in time and more specifically be willing to support in the form of pay-per-view buys at high price points remains to be seen.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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