THE HEAVYWEIGHT DEBATE!
DAVID TUA vs HASIM RAHMAN: WHO WILL WIN THE REMATCH?
25.03 - T-minus FOUR days before top-rated contender DAVID TUA, defends his NABF heavyweight title in a rematch against former world champion HASIM RAHMAN in a 12-round IBF-sanctioned title elimination bout. The fight will take place in front of thousands of fans at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA, and millions of viewers on HBO's "World Championship Boxing," Saturday, March 29, at 10 P.M. EST / 7 P.M. PST.
Here's what the "experts" had to say on Tua - Rahman II:
"Rahman has the ability to outbox Tua and David has the power to hurt Hasim. That's the perfect combination to keep you on the edge of your seat. Rahman can win if he displays discipline and good concentration, but I'm leaning towards Tua doing almost exactly what he did before -- come from behind to win by stoppage in about nine or 10 rounds."
- Claude Abrams, Boxing News
"David Tua caught up to Hasim Rahman in the first fight and knocked him out. This time, Tua catches up to him quicker for an early KO."
- Carlos Arias, Orange County Register
"If they had done this rematch immediately after their first fight in Miami, my call would be Rahman on points. But a lot has happened in four years, and the feeling here is that Rahman won't be able to keep Tua off of him this time. The Rock may be able to outbox him for a short while, but eventually Tua will catch up with him and paste him with a good one. After all, Rahman hasn't been able to take a punch since the last time Tua cracked him. I like Tua in five."
- Ted Bodenrader, The Ring
"David Tua should win by knockout over Hasim Rahman. Tua is still in his prime. Overall, Tua is a better fighter, stronger, faster, hits harder and has a bigger heart. Rahman is over-the-hill, and now only fights for a paycheck."
- Oscar Borras, 20 de Mayo
"While Rahman is a more talented fighter than Tua, the momentum lies with Tua. Rahman's non-performance against Evander Holyfield l ast time out was depressingly unimaginative while Tua's formidable punch and granite chin make him one of the most dangerous fighters in the heavyweight division. Rahman will let it all hang out. He'll have his moments, and it will be the fight of the night, but eventually it'll be Tua by KO, probably by the seventh."
- Dominic Calder-Smith, UK Boxing News
"Rahman has gone from boxer to slugger as his technical skills have diminished. That style dooms him to a crushing defeat in this rematch. Tua by knockout inside of two rounds."
- Dave "The Thermometer" Cokin, ESPN Radio
"Tua by KO."
- Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press
"Tua by TKO 7."
- George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel
"Tua by sixth-round KO."
- Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News
"Tua beat him once and he'll do it again. Even after almost five years, the memory of losing to Tua in their first fight will still haunt Rahman. Besides, Tua seems to be gaining momentum as his career goes on. Rahman had his one moment in the sun against Lewis in their first fight when he got lucky.
He won't get lucky again. Tua by knockout inside eight rounds"
- Rick Folstad, IBOPBoxing.Com
"Tua by third-round KO."
- Norm Frauenheim, Arizona Republic
"The end in their first fight may have come too soon for both of them, but I think the outcome will be no different in the rematch. Defeat is habit-forming and after two back-to-back, Rahman surely would have preferred not to have Tua in the opposite corner. I see David wearing him down with his unrelenting style and claiming a fifth round stoppage win this time.
- Scott Fyfe, The Sunday Post-Scotland
"Tua in four rounds or less. He's Tua much for ˜The Rock' to begin with, and with Rahman's unsettled camp situation, this makes the call even easier."
- Thomas Gerbasi, MaxBoxing.Com
"I believe that David Tua will win with a stoppage of the Rock. Rahman has suffered a dramatic loss to Lennox Lewis and then was stopped by Evander Holyfield due to swelling. I don't think Rahman will be able to overcome the setbacks at this stage of his career. Changing trainers just before the bell is not helpful."
- Ron Gerrard, StraightJab.Com
"After pulling ahead in a hard fought battle, Rahman will be badly hurt by a Tua left hook. and stopped in the sixth or seventh round. TKO Tua in 6 or 7."
- Jerry Glick, Boxing Digest
"Tua by KO within six rounds."
- Butch Gottlieb, BoxinginLasVegas.Com
"Tua by early KO. Rahman is fading fast."
- Roger Grandgenett, FightNews.Com
"This is a tough one, because Tua is on a roll and the Rock is wavering. But for some reason my instincts are saying to go with Rahman. I think Rahman is more fluid and should take a decision."
- Max Hammer, Blue Streak Media
"Tua by KO in the last four rounds: Tua can be exasperating but I think that he will have learned from the last fight and at some point he will start letting his hands go. When he does I believe he will take over the fight. But I don't see Rahman going out quickly. His jab gave Tua problems before and it will do so again, but I can't see him keeping Tua at the end of the jab all night."
- Graham Houston, Boxing Monthly
"Tua by TKO 10. Tua has trouble with anyone who moves and boxes, but Rahman is no Chris Byrd in that regard."
- Kevin Iole, Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Tua by knockout."
- Jerry Izenberg, Newark Star-Ledger
"David, reunited with Sternburg, celebrates by breaking his personal record and knocking out Rahman in 18 seconds. He will then predict an even faster KO of Mike Tyson."
- Mike Katz, Wine Spectator / MaxBoxing.Com
"This has a chance, a chance, to be a very good fight because you have two boxers who are in desperate straights -- one loss could signal the end of their chances to ever gain a shot at the world title. Rahman seems to be the boxer more on the way down than Tua, so I expect Tua to win -- cleanly this time -- with an eighth-round KO."
- Michael Katz, Detroit News
"As a general principle, it's often hazardous to pick against momentum. If Tua can be said to be on an up tick, the complexing factor between Rahman and Tua is, as ever, that Rahman can box sufficiently well to beat Tuaman. But a less agile Rock's been damaged his last two times out; thus, power over stealth, Tua overcomes Rahman in round 9. Tua by KO 9."
- Patrick Kehoe, SecondsOut.Com
"Tua TKO 9. Turmoil in Rock's corner can't be helpful."
- George Kimball, Boston Herald
"Even though Rock has had a period on the biggest stage since their last meet, that may have been at a cost in terms of his durability. Tua, but earlier this time."
- Glyn Leach, Boxing Monthly
"Tua by third-round KO."
- Franz Lidz, Sports Illustrated
"Rahman by a decision. He should have won the first fight on a disqualification. He will outbox Tua and stay away."
- Thom Loverro, The Washington Times
"David Tua is clearly on the rise and Hasim Rahman had his fifteen minutes of fame. With the crushing loss to Lennox Lewis and the subsequent defeat to Evander Holyfield I cannot see how Rahman can win. He will have to box circles around Tua and possibly earn a decision. There have been too many distractions surrounding the Rahman camp, including the recent dismissal of his trainer. This will be over early and David Tua will deliver the knockout blow in round four."
- Ed Ludwig, EastsideBoxing.Com
"Avoiding mistakes is Rule No. 1 in beating the Tuaman. And Rahman's decision to fire trainer Bouie Fisher weeks before such an important fight is a huge mistake." Tua by KO.
- Franklin McNeil, Newark Star-Ledger
"Does the old adage about rematches after knockouts apply after such a long time and seeing that both fighters have taken different paths to get here? The logical thinking here is that Rahman will eventually get caught, much like the first fight and that Tua will end it by mid-round stoppage, a la his knockout over Fres Oquendo."
- Mike Nosky, RealBoxing.Com
"I like Tua by KO, late rounds. Besides his recent losses to Lewis and, especially, Holyfield, Rahman also has an uncertain situation in his corner."
- Jorge Perez, El Nuevo Dia
"Tua by KO 7"
- Pat Putnam, Slingerlands Jewish Week
"Rahman has already been champ and I'm not sure the desire is still there the way it is in Tua, whose one title shot ended in disappointment. Tua's power will be too much for Rahman to overcome and it ends early. Tua bu KO 3"
- Dan Rafael, USA Today
"Tua by seventh-round KO"
- Fast Eddie Schuyler, Boxing Laureate
"Tua 10th round TKO"
- Tim Smith, New York Daily News
"Tua's on a roll, Rahman's on the edge. Tua, by eighth-round knockout."
- William Stickney, Houston Chronicle
"David Tua enters this rematch with all the momentum after wins over Fres Oquendo and Michael Moorer. It will be very hard for Rahman, coming off back to back losses to Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, to have a positive feel going into the fight. The outcome is very important to the careers of both men and while I expect a close opening round, Tuaman's power will be evident after two or three rounds really wearing on the 'Rock'. Tua KO4."
- Paul Upham, SecondsOut.Com
"I like Tua in six rounds."
- Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News
"It's Tua in the late rounds....if he can score with combinations to the head and body and not get tagged. Tua by TKO in 11th round."
- Jack Welsh, Boxing Update & Flash / Arum Man
"6 foot 2 inch Rahman will outscore 5 foot 9 inch Tua in the early rounds using extra reach to his advantage. The non stop aggressive style of Tua slows Rahman down by round six as the New Zealand boxer consistently scores with powerful head and body shots. The Tuaman connects with a tremendous
left hook to the jaw of Rahman at 1 minute 30 seconds of round seven that drops the former world champion heavyweight for the full ten count."
- Ray Wheatley, World of Boxing (Australia) / FightNews.Com
"Tua by mid-round KO. Rahman was getting the best of Tua the first time, but then he was undefeated and had never been KO'd. That's not the case any more. If Tua jumps on Rahman early and turns this into a war, he should win easy. If he waits and only throws the left hook, it'll unfold much like the first fight -- with Rahman ahead but getting KO'd late. But this time, it won't happen after the bell. Tua is more motivated now than he was in 1998 when he was complacent and waiting for a title shot. Rahman's 15 minutes are up."
- Johnnie Whitehead, The Ring / MaxBoxing.Com
MEDIA POLL TALLY
Tua: 40
Rahman: 02
