DEON POTGIETER, Johannesburg | Sunday 2.25pm.
AN ill-conditioned Corrie Sanders lost his WBU heavyweight world title in Atlantic City on Saturday night, and with it the possibility of fighting Lennox Lewis in the new year.
Sanders paid the price for relying too much on his punching power and having not fought more than two rounds in the last three years.
Although the former policeman staggered Hassim Rahman with a tremendous left hook in the first round, his over eagerness to score a knockout led him to throw his punches wildly and in the process received a right hook flush on the jaw.
The second round again belonged to Sanders who had Rahman in all sorts of trouble.
The American, who was nine kilograms heavier than the champion absorbed some tremendous blows and was clearly worried at the end of the round.
Sanders undisciplined attacks robbed him of a certain victory and in the end only served to sap his own strength.
Rahman landed his right hook frequently, but to his credit Sanders absorbed the punches which would have felled a lesser man. Sanders caught Rahman with a powerful uppercut in the third round which saw the challenger fall onto the ropes.
Sanders again threw caution to the wind, climbed in wildly and was caught by a straight right which sent him to the canvas. Sanders rose to his feet and seemed more tired than dazed. Rahman, clearly the more ring-wise, used every opportunity he was given by Sanders to press him against the ropes.
The few times Rahman cornered Sanders, the champion showed little desire to fight his way out of trouble.
In the fourth round, Sanders again had Rahman on the verge of a knockdown, if not for the ropes he surely would have gone down.
Sanders himself was caught off balance and dropped by a glancing blow. It was clear when coming out for the fifth round that Sanders was exhausted and for all effective purposes was no longer in the fight. In the seventh round Rahman caught Sanders with a left and right hook.
Sanders covered up and the challenger climbed into him at will. Although he was not in serious trouble, Sanders did not attempt to fight back, the referee stepped in and stopped the contest.
Even though this loss is a setback, it was evident that if Sanders has the desire to continue and gets into shape, he could still be a force in world heavyweight boxing.