 The Neutral Corner
by Jason Probst (March 27, 2003)
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So they're back doing it again, and who wouldn't want to see it? The Neutral Corner certainly will be watching with rapt interest as David Tua and Hasim Rahman hook up again Saturday night. It reads like a jilted, doomed romance, the history between these two. December 1998, Rahman was fighting the masterful kind of fight which he has not replicated since, outboxing Tua before getting caught by a late punch, and screwed by an inept referee who failed to give him the five minutes' recovery time he deserved prior to issuing a quick stoppage in the next round.
Rahman never got his rematch while Tua took a title shot against Lennox Lewis. Tua lost in a ho-hum effort against the seemingly invincible champion, who was clearly at the top of the mountain at 2000's end.
Then Rahman upsets Lewis and publicly taunts Tua for never giving him a rematch, instead telling him to "Enjoy the wait" in a letter published via online boxing sites. After getting proven mortal — and glaringly outmatched — against Lewis in the rematch, Rahman suffers the bad luck of being beaten by Evander Holyfield's head. With two losses in a row, and his career on thin ice, you've got to wonder if he can summon up the kind of focus he once showed against Tua, a guy who doesn't come blindingly quick or exceedingly fancy, just with the best two-handed power and the toughest chin in the division. Mike Tyson punches hard, maybe a little harder, but Tua can take you deep and get you out of there, something Tyson has never been known for. Tua can take a shot like nobody else, too. It's why Rahman has to fight the perfect fight to pull it out.
I think Tua is going to be the guy here. He can afford to make an error or two or three, but ultimately I think he'll hit Rahman with something hard enough to turn the fight in his favor. But if Tua is sleeping and doesn't remember to go to the body early, to keep busy, and throw more than 40 punches per round, he could get out hustled. But I don't think that's happening, because he still wants to get to the championship, while Rahman has already been there. That should be the difference in a very entertaining fight. Matchups-wise, though, it only muddles the divisions' future for title challengers. I can't see Tua or Rahman fighting Lewis again — he would surely not be interested in either one, especially Tua because he offers the lousy combination of big power and little fan interest in seeing a rematch — but Roy Jones against David Tua would be wildly interesting. Rahman isn't really that exciting to watch, unless he's at a press conference, where he is far more incendiary than in the ring. Blame it on style. But if Rahman wins, do you really see him beating Lewis, Byrd, or Jones? Tua will always have a chance and 12 rounds' worth, and it's why the Corner is pulling for him to win. This time, hopefully, with no controversy.
Bernard Hopkins goes for his record 16th defense against Morrade Hakker on the card as well. Hakker has fought nobody The Corner has ever heard of, entirely European middleweights, and most of them with really weak records. In fact, after searching the records of the guys he's fought, there's no recognizable names except Erland Betare, who was supposed to be Hopkins' mandatory until nobody could find him (the one place he probably wasn't was Iraq, so at least we can eliminate that from the search list). All in all, Hakkar will be easily found and taken out by Hopkins. It's good to see the French get flogged.
I'm just hoping perhaps Bernard can seize upon the anti-French mood in the country and perhaps throw down the French flag or something. It would be a nice way to get some good PR, and I'm not talking about Puerto Rico. Public Relations is what The Corner means, here. However, it won't help him get a fight with Oscar De La Hoya unless he looks like he's getting old... and Hakker is so bad that Hopkins could probably do just that and pull out a mediocre victory designed to lure the Golden Boy into a bout in 2004. Sometimes you gotta resort to trickery, but he could probably pull it off. Either way, throwing down the French flag is a no-brainer... The Corner keeps calling Hopkins and leaving him messages but to no avail. Perhaps a Felix Trinidad impression would pay off here? Certainly it's the one thing that would seem to get him on the phone, as Roy Jones certainly won't be calling any time soon, and De La Hoya will steer well clear of him until he's finished with all the suitors he's got lined up at 147-154 pounds.
Short Shots: The Corner is hopelessly addicted to HBO's "Legendary Nights" series. It makes Wednesday a holy day. There's some incredible visceral reaction to all that basement footage of Aaron Pryor jumping rope, or Tommy Hearns looking young, lean and deadly mean; the behind the scenes footage is incredible, and the series is a wonderful addition to the network's dossier of fine works. Sometimes, The Corner imagine a life without HBO, without HBO championship boxing, Boxing After Dark (which often surpasses the prime time cards on sheer excitement value), and all the good programming the network has steadfastly provided over the years. Shudder...
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E-Mail Jason Probst at jasonprobst@hotmail.com
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