Hasim

NEW YORK - In his zeal during the post-fight news conference at Madison Square Garden after his brutally efficient, fourth-round knockout of Kali Meehan, Baltimore's Hasim Rahman was moved to use a four-letter word: "Cash." "That's something that would make me feel very happy," Rahman said after his 33rd knockout took his record to 40-5-1, improved his position for demanding a lucrative payday and raised the former world champion's stock in a heavyweight division in need of a star. Meehan was Rahman's fourth straight knockout among five straight wins, earning him $85,000.

Baltimore native Hasim Rahman was big, strong and athletic when he turned professional at the age of 22 in Las Vegas in 1994. Already a polished negotiator, Rahman talked his backers into giving him a $100,000 signing bonus - an unheard-of figure considering he was just 7-3 as an amateur. But after winning his first 29 pro bouts, Rahman began to cut corners in workouts. He began to shed trainers like a snake does skin. And his bad habits caught up with him: Rahman went 6-5-1 during a stretch against some of the heavyweight division's better fighters.

Even with a sparkling record in 2002, Kali Meehan still felt as if he was going nowhere as a professional boxer. "That was the fall of 2002. I wasn't getting any breaks in boxing. I was working two jobs -- security at night and a [garbage man] in the daytime -- and I've got three kids," said the 6-foot-5, 236-pound fighter from Australia. "People were offering everything, but I was getting nothing. I was sick of all the rubbish. So I walked away." The former rugby player spent the next year or so as a hired hand.

Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, a Baltimore native, has been named the No. 1 contender to Lamon Brewster's World Boxing Organization crown and would get a title shot if he defeats Kali Meehan on Nov. 13 at New York's Madison Square Garden, Rahman's co-manager, Steve Nelson, said yesterday. Rahman (39-5-1, 32 knockouts) goes after his fifth straight win against Meehan (29-2, 23 KOs), a 6-foot-5, 34-year-old from Australia who is coming off a 12-round loss to Brewster on Sept. 4. Rahman, 31, is rated No. 1 by the World Boxing Association, No. 2 by the World Boxing Council and No. 5 by the International Boxing Federation, whose respective champs are John Ruiz, Vitali Klitschko and Chris Byrd.

Adrian Davis previously spoke to Hasim Rahman in early August. It was nearly midnight as they stood outside Michael's Eighth Avenue after a fight card at the Glen Burnie ballroom. "He gave me a hug, told me he'd be checking out real estate in Las Vegas, that he'd see me in two weeks," Davis said. "Next thing I hear, he's got a new trainer." Davis learned Friday that Rahman, the former world heavyweight champion from Baltimore, had replaced him with Las Vegas-based Thell Torrence. Rahman has worked for the past month in preparation for a Nov. 13 bout with New Zealand's Kali Meehan.

Terrence Lewis heard his nose crack when Hasim Rahman hit it with a bludgeoning jab early in the first round. The pain in the nose, which was broken by the blow, worsened as Rahman repeatedly found the mark. Lewis was down for the count, on his hands and knees, 43 seconds into the second round. "He caught me with another jab and everything went black," Lewis said from his Philadelphia home yesterday, recalling the events leading up to Wednesday night's second-round knockout loss in Rochester, N.Y. "He was more focused than I thought he would be. He's legitimate."

Baltimore native Hasim Rahman will go after his fourth win in five months and his third straight knockout Wednesday night in Rochester, N.Y., against journeyman Terrence Lewis, who is the fifth fighter to be considered as Rahman's opponent for the card at Frontier Field. Co-manager Steve Nelson and matchmaker Jim Borzell announced the new opponent last night. Lewis (31-14-1, 21 knockouts) was originally scheduled to fight Rahman (38-5-1, 31 KOs) in April before pulling out. Mario Cawley replaced Lewis and was knocked out in two rounds.

Baltimore native Hasim Rahman won't be allowed to fight journeyman heavyweight Quinn Navarre on Wednesday at Frontier Field in Rochester, N.Y., the New York State Athletic Commission announced yesterday. "The New York State Athletic Commission evaluates each proposed bout. Based upon each boxer's history, the commission decided the bout would be one-sided and non-competitive," said Tim Donovan, spokesman for the NYSAC, reading from a statement. "Therefore, the bout would be potentially unsafe to approve, and it would also deny the public its right to a fair and competitive match," Donovan continued.

Baltimore native Hasim Rahman will go after his fourth win in five months when he faces hard-punching left-hander Wayne Llewelyn of England on July 28 in Rochester, N.Y. The former world champion's unanimous-decision loss to John Ruiz in December dropped him to 0-3-1 in the four bouts that followed his April 2001 knockout of Lennox Lewis for the undisputed world title. But Rahman (38-5-1, 31 knockouts) has rebounded with three consecutive victories and will continue his ambitious rebuilding schedule against Llewelyn (27-5, 20 knockouts)

Hasim Rahman promised his son, Hasim Jr., a sensational victory for his 13th birthday. Last night in the scheduled 10-rounder at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, the former heavyweight champion came through. Rahman landed a big overhand right and scored a knockout of Rob Calloway at the two-minute mark of the second round. Rahman, a Baltimore native, is 38-5-1 with 31 knockouts. Calloway, of St. Joseph, Mo., fell to 48-5-1. Rahman froze Calloway with a hard jab and a short right hand in the first round, and later staggered him with two straight jabs.