James Toney Forces Hasim Rahman To Quit

TEMECULA-A rematch between two former heavyweight champions ended in a technical knockout in the third round for James Toney after both he and Hasim Rahman clashed heads resulting in a severe cut over the left eye.

Rahman (45-7-2) told the ringside doctor he could not continue prompting referee Ray Corona to stop the fight at the end of the third round and rule it a technical knockout victory for Toney.

“Rahman told the ringside doctor I can’t see three times and when the doctor asked him did he want to continue he answered the same answer,” said referee Corona who stopped the fight.

Top Rank’s Todd DuBoef the company promoting Rahman said that it should have been ruled a no contest. But according to Corona it was the fighter who did not want the fight to continue so therefore it was a technical knockout for Toney.

“I’m not going to fight with one eye,” said Rahman who suffered the cut over the left eye in middle of the third round. “I couldn’t see the punches.”

Toney (71-6-3, 44 KOs) scored with several stiff left jabs that forced Rahman to take backward steps in the first round. Rahman fired several right hands to Toney’s body in the first round.

The second round saw Toney land counter right hands that snapped Rahman’s head several times. Rahman tried to fire more combinations but fell into several Toney traps.

Rahman started quickly in the third round with some three-punch combinations, but quickly was caught with counter rights. A clash of head caused a cut over the left eye and affected Rahman’s vision as he ate repeated right hands.

“I made him quit,” said Toney after the fight. “I’m the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”

Other bouts

Bakersfield welterweight Mike Dallas Jr. (4-0) used his speed to score effective combinations over the heavier punching Artemio Reyes Jr. (1-1) of Moreno Valley for the first three rounds. In the fourth and final round Reyes stormed back but didn’t have enough to score a needed knockout. The judges scores were 39-36, 39-37 twice for Dallas who is managed by Jackie Kallen.

In a battle of undefeated boxers Pico Rivera’s Rico Ramos (5-0) edged San Bernardino’s Jonathan Velardez (6-1) in a four round junior featherweight bout 39-37 on all three cards. Ramos scored early with strong left hooks against the southpaw Velardez whose awkward style caused problems early.

Santa Barbara junior middleweight Francisco Santana (9-1, 5KOs) landed a thudding left hook to the body for a knockout win against Ontario’s Alexander Bogarin (8-6-3). The end came at 2:34 of the fourth round.

In a heavyweight bout San Diego’s Marcus Dickerson (2-0) won his second pro bout with a third round stoppage of Heleman Holguin (0-1) at 2:04. Dickerson knocked down Holguin two other times with right hands to the body.

A first round knockdown scored by Carlos Herrera (2-2) and efficient boxing enabled the Oxnard fighter to win by unanimous decision against Indio’s Juan Zavala (0-2) in a four round lightweight bout. The judges scored it 40-35 and 39-36 twice for Herrera.