Boxing

Sharkie’s Machine: “What Fight Was Judge Robert Grasso Watching?”


David Tua vs. Hasim Rahman
(42-3-1-29 KO’s) (35-4-1-37 KO’s)

By Frank Gonzalez Jr.

31.03 - The under card of Hopkins vs. Hakkar turned out to be the only entertaining fight at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Considering the match up, with Tua’s knockout power vs. Rahman’s boxing ability and respectable power, I thought Rahman coming in at 259 would be too heavy to execute the plan of out-boxing Tua for 12 rounds -- without running out of gas and paying a big price.

Rahman noted that no one was making a similar fuss over Tua, who also came in 20 pounds heavier than the last time they met back in December of 1998. Maybe that’s because fans know that Tua has an iron jaw and the kind of power that can win a fight no matter how deep it goes and no matter how tired he looks.

Rahman is a good boxer, who doesn’t get enough credit for his ability. When you lose in dramatic a fashion as he did to Lennox Lewis in their rematch, people tend to forget your successes and remember the worst. Rahman’s not just a ‘hit and hold’ heavyweight, he has a respectable arsenal of punches, a good jab and fair enough defensive skills. At his best, he knocked out Lennox Lewis with a big right hand and won the big title once. An accomplishment that may be cheapened by today’s watered down product but remarkable nonetheless.

The Fight

Round 1- The Tuaman enters the ring in what looked like a black mini-skirt. But he’s a Samoan and can get away with that. Rahman looked fat but was agile, beating Tua to the punch on every occasion. Tua was out boxed in first round, where he was fairly ineffective. Rahman out-boxed him and scored more often.

Round 2- Rahman controls the pace, boxing from the center of the ring, keeping a good range and catching Tua with good shots when the Samoan got close. Tua had a mouse under one eye after many of Rahman’s jabs to his face.

Round 3- Seconds into the round, Tua’s nose is bleeding compliments of more Rahman jabs upstairs. Tua has slower reflexes and gets hit often. Rahman is in control.

Round 4- Tua comes in aggressively, charging Rahman, forcing him towards the ropes. He catches Rahman with a few combinations. That’s right, I said combinations, from Tua. He threw the right hand with some success, rocking Rahman, who survives Tua’s output and scores nicely as the round ends, causing Tua’s other eye to swell. I scored this round even since both scored effectively in turn.

Round 5- Tua continues to work hard, following instructions from his trainer, Kevin Barry, who urged him to use his right hand more often. Tua cracks Rahman with left hooks and a few propitious rights. Rahman holds more often and survives another Tua attack. The tide is turning. Tua wins a round.

Round 6- Tua catches Rahman with a left, right combo that hurts him but Rahman shows a good solid chin and again survives what is becoming all Tua. I was impressed by Tua’s output in spite of the extra 20-pounds he was carrying. He seemed in better shape (stamina wise) than I’ve seen him in a long time.

Round 7- Tua connects with a big right hook that staggers Rahman, who covers up and holds to outlast another Tua barrage, but he looks hurt. Tua can smell the blood.

Round 8- Rahman holds and tries to recompose himself. Tua connects big again, Rahman again buckles a bit as Tua forces him towards the ropes where it looked like Tua was going to end it but Rahman bobbed and weaved away from the bombs Tua threw and escaped the worst. Tua threw lots of punches that didn’t connect; unable to finish Rahman, who survives thanks to Tua’s inaccuracy.

Round 9- Rahman jabs, holds and leans, forcing his heavy body onto Tua’s shoulders, pushing him across the ring at times. A tiring Tua punches a lot of air as Rahman retakes control of the fight by out-boxing the Samoan. Rahman wins the round.

Round 10- Tua reduces his activity level, stops throwing the right hand, reverting to being a predictable left hooker. Rahman leads the dance and in a close round, scores more than Tua.

Round 11- A battle ensues. Tua comes back to life and starts throwing bombs in combination form, charging Rahman, who gets off some very big shots of his own, staggering Tua as both exchange blows, Rahman is also hit hard. Both did well enough to call this round even.

Round 12- Tua doesn’t do much early in the round. Rahman tags Tua with jabs and again out-boxes Tua. David came on strong late, catching Rahman with some good shots, almost stealing the round. Against the ropes in the final seconds, Tua whales away, trying to knock out Rahman, who holds his own.

Tua was still swinging as the final bell rang and gets countered by a beautiful Rahman counter left hook right on the jaw and falls down backward on the seat of his mini-skirt. He bounces up right away. The knockdown may not have counted since the fight was technically over. But it made a statement about who might do better against Chris Byrd or Lennox Lewis. At the least, the knock down added to appearance that Rahman won this fight; since Rahman never went down from any of Tua’s many punches. I can’t recall the last fighter to put Tua on the canvas with a punch.

Then came the decision. This is the part of a fight where anything can happen and no one is held accountable. This is the part that makes the casual boxing fans decide that boxing is too corrupt to be taken seriously.

The Judges scores were as follows:

Bill Clancy – 116-114………….. Rahman

* Robert Grasso – 116-112……….. Tua
George Hill – 114-114………….. Even

I scored it: 116-114, scoring the 4th and 11th rounds even.

I don’t know what fight Grasso was watching? Maybe his scorecard was filled out before the opening bell, only God and the Promoters know. Tua fought well, but not well enough to justify Grasso’s scorecard.

Punch Stats
Total Punches

Tua Rahman

130…Landed… 188

417…Thrown… 695

31%…Percent…27%

Jabs

Tua Rahman

57… Landed … 140

250…Thrown… 563

23%…Percent…25%

According to these stats, Rahman was at least busier. Another questionable decision ruins Boxing just a little bit more. Who pays the Judges? The Promoters. Why they so often produce scorecards that don’t reflect what everyone else just witnessed is not so much of a mystery. There’s more money to be made in controversy, with rematches. Judges know that their bosses, the Promoters, like that.

Maybe in the interest of the integrity of sport, they should change the rules for Elimination bouts and Championship fights, where in the case a Draw, they go to the punch stats to determine the winner. Whoever has the better stats wins. That seems fair enough.

* * *

When asked during the post fight interview how he was so vulnerable to the jab of Hasim Rahman, David Tua said he made the mistake of waiting too often for counter punch opportunities. He said it was a good fight, a close fight, and that he felt he did enough to win.

Rahman said the decision was a joke and as for another rematch with Tua, he would do what he has to do but will go for the best payday next time up, whether that’s against Tua or someone else. He was disgusted and frustrated about winning the fight and then losing the decision. A Draw is not a win.

Everyone I know who saw the fight thought Rahman won the most rounds.

With today’s poor stock of Heavyweights, Rahman could be the next best thing to Lewis, who will probably fight one or two more times before he retires.

After Vladimir Klitschko lost to Corrie Sanders by KO recently, the narrow choice of valid opponents for Lewis just got narrower. I’d like to see Lewis do what’s right and fight Chris Byrd, who has already earned a deserved shot at Lewis. But Lennox would rather sell off his IBF title to Don King then face the crafty boxer that is Chris Byrd. Besides all the money and fame, what ever happened to the honor of Champions? I guess that’s for sale too if the price is right.

I think Rahman is a good enough boxer to deal with Byrd’s style. He also has that big right hand that could put Chris to the ultimate test. So, there you have it, just when it seemed the Heavyweight picture was coming into focus, Judge Robert Grasso’s scorecard puts it all back in disarray.

Agree or disagree? Send comments to:

dshark87@hotmail.com

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