by James Slater – Hasim “The Rock” Rahman, the 37-year-old former two-time heavyweight ruler, will continue his latest comeback next month, when he will face Troy, New York’s Shannon Miller in Niagara Falls on June 19th. The fight is scheduled, perhaps a little optimistically, for ten-rounds, but Rahman will be looking to get his second stoppage win since returning to the ring after his December 2008 loss to Wladimir Klitschko. 36-year-old Miller, 16-4(9) may be a tough and game guy, but Rahman has a real shot at getting a quick KO..
After the disappointing effort he put forth in the title fight with “Dr. Steel Hammer,” many people felt they had seen the last of Baltimore’s Rahman, 46-7-2(37). Instead, the veteran returned from the 7th-round TKO defeat in March of this year; winning an easy, 1st-round TKO over the little-known Clinton Boldridge. Miller may be no world beater, but at least in comparison to Boldridge he is step up in class for the man who is always destined to be best known for sensationally KO’ing all time great Lennox Lewis back in 2001.
Miller, who has been around boxing all his life despite having had just 21 fights in his now eighteen year pro career (Miller has had a number of long inactive spells), is probably best known for his exciting losing effort against crowd-pleaser Vinny Maddalone. Back in 2005, in a fight that went out live on ESPN, Miller and Maddalone went to war for five thrilling rounds, before Maddalone took his man out in style in the 5th-round. It would be highly unlikely if Miller were to give Rahman as tough a time as he gave Maddalone, but if he can make it through the opening round he might, just might be capable of testing “The Rock’s” desire and heart. But that may be a very big if.
Rahman always could punch, and despite his age, wear and tear and recent inactivity, it’s likely he still can. Also, Miller hasn’t been overly active himself as of late; having boxed just twice since losing the fight he is maybe second-best known for – the one-round loss to “Baby” Joe Mesi in October of 2007. Miller has not lost since, instead winning a UD over Ryan Thompson last March, and boxing to a 3-round No-Contest with Terrell Nelson last July (an accidental head-butt stopping the fight prematurely).
To be fair, it was in the Mesi fight that Miller took his one and only step up into word class. Until now. Miller, not short on courage, will give it his best shot next month and he will almost certainly be training for all he’s worth right now. Despite this, however, Rahman has to be looked at as a huge favourite. Unless he has next to nothing left, Rhaman will win; most likely by a KO.
Still hoping, it seems, for one last big fight (a third go with David Tua has been mentioned before now), Rahman will not be derailed by Miller.