FIGHT RULED A DRAW

Round by Round Commentary - by Anne Vitello

ROUND 1
Lots of activity from the big guys right from the start. At close range, Tua keeps busy with his jab; Rahman does the same, and the fighters also get tied up several times. In the phone booth, both boxers paw with some short body shots. In a jabbing contest, Rahman is coming out ahead, Tua is just not built for that kind of thing. In slow and steady progress, Hasim has taken his time, beaten Tua to the punch consistently, and gotten off to a solid start.

ROUND 2
Now Tua is warmed up, and early into the round he fires off his classic left on 2 occasions, each time following up with a short right as well. He rushes Hasim twice in the first minute. Rahman sees some success mixing it up with a long one-two. After some early exchanges, the fighters settle back into at-range jabbing (again, good news for The Rock). This is starting to look like Tua-Rahman I. Really, it's hard to figure out what if any strategy David Tua is employing here. In the final moments he does connect with the left again; Rahman responds with the right.

ROUND 3
It may be time to think about what magic Buddy McGirt may have managed to work in the short amount of time during which he has been training Rahman. Hasim has had his back on the ropes only once in the fight. Look for Tua to capitalize if Rahman does get backed up. But Hasim is moving consistently to his left - away from Tua's power punch. And he is looking more and more confident. Tua is having a hard time reaching him, and his eyes are showing some swelling; those jabs are accumulating. The Rock lands a hard right! Tua is hard to hurt, but he is not hard to hit.

ROUND 4
Hasim Rahman is taking a little heat now. David Tua is getting frustrated, and is getting more aggressive. Rahman continues his jab-fest, and with remarkably good results! At one point Tua swings wildly - old school Tuaman style - and misses. Hasim adds in the right here & there and even looks to go to the body. He is pitching a shut-out so far, and he seems to be having a nice time this evening. He ends the round on his toes. David Tua has some ground to catch up on.

ROUND 5
More of the same, Rock jabs, Tua walks in. At one point, Tua counters with a stiff right. No damage done. Rahman is looking secure and strong at his "plus size" this evening, only the first unexpected aspect of this fight - the second being his domination of it thus far. Tua, who at first had been trying to jab as well, is now just apparently waiting for a chance to land a big one. In the final moments each boxer unloads with a big, single right.

ROUND 6
Big George points out that Tua's corner is giving him dubious advice in pushing him to come in behind a double jab. He's rushing in, winging his right, and following up with a left to the body. Looks like David knows what works best for him. Though he looks unorthodox, he does look more himself with this style. At one point Rahman is against the ropes; Tua has not managed to make one of those big punches land flush. Rahman goes back to the original plan, pumping the jab again. He also is making good use of gravity tonight, draping his weight on the shorter man in close quarters.

ROUND 7
Not that the action has been particularly breathtaking, but this fight is remarkable by the mere fact that it is still going on. Many experts expected David Tua to dispense with Rahman by now (Yours Truly is in good company). It's looking like maybe that extra weight on the Rock is all part of the plan this evening (in the phone booth, he's really bearing down on the short man). Whoa. This time the wild right caught the end of Rahman's chin. Rahman hangs on! Tua smells blood now, figuratively only. In Tua's first truly big round of the fight, it is now clear that Rahman can't afford to make any big mistakes tonight.

ROUND 8
Fatigue is impacting both boxers now. Two careers are on the line tonight, and as of now, Rahman is still ahead by my count. Obviously it is in Hasim's interest to keep the fight as sluggish as possible. This seems to be a recuperative round for The Rock. But when the action is this slow, Tua pays by having the big man hang on his shoulders all night. Tua wings with the right, follows up with the left! Again, one successful power combination like this could change everything. Tua is bleeding under both eyes, and tries once more for the big pay-off. But this time Rahman eludes him.

ROUND 9
Approaching the championship rounds, these 2 contenders are presenting potentially unexpected results tonight: Rahman by nature of staying in the fight - indeed and still ahead. David Tua is neutralized again in this round. The man looks tired, confused, frustrated, and though dangerous.. just not quite dangerous enough. He has not been able to follow up on the opportunities he has created throughout this fight. Rahman's game plan is ruling the day for now. He has the edge in this fight, but Tua regained some ground in the middle rounds. It will be interesting to see where this ends up!

ROUND 10
Rahman is all over Tua, and not always with punches. Rahman is sometimes leading with a hold! In minimal boxing action, these 2 giants are lumbering, lobbing single punches, and getting tied up again and again. Tua is walking in with single punches. I really believe that he has been neutralized both by Rahman's strategy and his own corner's inability to compensate with insightful advice. Rahman made it this far; he can make this victory his if he does more of the same for just 2 more rounds.

ROUND 11
Tua has been unable to budge The Rock. With the taller man in the middle of the ring, keeping the shorter man at the end of his punches, then using his extra girth in the phone booth, it just doesn't add up for David Tua. Again, Tua snaps with a short right, does it again, and then comes his classic left hook. But Rahman is ready; his right hand is up and so Tua's punches are glancing blows. For one brief moment Rahman is backed up on the ropes, but he punches his way out of it.

ROUND 12
Rahman kicks off the round on his toes! He circles on the outside, keeping that jab in action. Tua is making his final bid. He comes in several times, and at one point backs up The Rock. Again, Rahman gets out of "trouble", this time by just holding. The "eat, jab and hold" strategy has really done it for him. David Tua makes one last bid - too little, too late. Not much else to say. Hasim Rahman not only does not plan to retire tonight, he just may have revived his career. He even connects with a late left hook that sends Tua reeling back on the canvas.

POST-FIGHT COMMENTS:
Buddy McGirt wins tonight! Hasim Rahman came in and executed his game plan to near perfection. In his post-fight interview, "The Rock" was blunt and energetic in expressing his frustration at the result of a draw: "Same old stuff!...I beat him twice, and I still can't get justice!...I made him bleed out his nose, his eyes, his mouth, and I knocked him down! What do I have to do to beat David Tua?"

Tua did not agree with the prevailing opinion that he didn't deserve the draw: "I think I landed the bigger and the harder shots." Yet Tua did admit that he should have been more aggressive."... was waiting too much. Rather than forcing the fight." Naturally he was open to a rematch. As for The Rock's answer to the rematch question. "I'm going to do what makes me the most money."

Hasim Rahman, a man whose career was in question, now sounds like someone firmly entrenched in heavyweight boxing. It looks like David Tua needs learn how to adjust during a fight. Otherwise, his is the career that may be winding down sometime soon.