ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey, 20 March 2006 — Hasim Rahman remained the WBC heavyweight champion Saturday night without beating James Toney.
Rahman, handed the crown when Vitali Klitschko retired last year, fought Toney to a draw, a verdict booed by many fans in the crowd. So the 33-year-old Rahman has never actually won the belt in the ring. “I can beat James Toney and I beat him tonight,” Rahman insisted. It was one of the closest fights imaginable, with both boxers missing more than they connected, and with few flurries. Toney did his best work with right leads, including two massive ones late in the bout. But he also missed a handful of those punches, looking foolish as he swiped the air. Nobuaki Uratani and Tom Kaczmarek each had it 114-114, while John Stewart saw a Rahman rout, 117-111. The Associated Press scored it 114-113 for Rahman.
