Even with today’s heavyweights in disarray, chronic boxing buffs can’t resist giving the big boys a second chance, especially if it involves two former world champions like Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and John
Ruiz.

This 12-round pairing can be considered the crossroads for the participants but it fits nicely in promoter Don King’s super moment of eight world championships Saturday, Dec.13 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City with HBO Pay-Per-View televising starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The full scenario is appropriately billed as Night of the Undisputed “Back-to-Back-to-Back” action. Though unlikely with all the power punchers working, the full competition would cover an historic 96 rounds if every fighter finished on his feet.

Rahman, 31, former WBC, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion out of Baltimore, Md., and Ruiz, 33, of Chelsea, Ma., who held the WBA diadem., vie for an immediate reward when the victor becomes the WBA
Interim heavyweight champion.
Basically, the WBA’s original mandate called for the winner to become the mandatory contender for Roy Jones, Jr., who won the crown from Ruiz Mar.1 in Las Vegas. As of late, Jones’ prime interest is a huge mega fight with former champion Mike Tyson. Should Jones continue to ignore the WBA’s edict, he will be stripped and the Rahman-Ruiz winner will be named the official champion.

Rahman, co-managed by Steve Nelson and Stan Hoffman, has had one of the shortest reigns in the division’s history, winning his three titles April 22, 2001 when he caught Lennox Lewis unprepared in Johannesburg, S.A.

Mixing well wth the pride of Britain in the early action, Rahman shook Lewis with a combination in the fourth round and delivered the coup de grace. It was with a picture-book right flush on the jaw. Only 32 seconds into the fifth round when the incumbent dropped like an avil and was counted out by Belgian referee Daniel van der Wiele, stretched flat on his back.

Rahman wasn’t affected that Lewis was in his 15th world title fight and didn’t have his first loss until Sept.24,1994 when upstart Oliver McCall chilled him in the third round at Wembley.

It was one of the sport’s biggest shockers when Rahman delivered a punch that was heard around the world.
“ Yeah, I came up with one punch...one punch. I was never nervous once from the time the fight was made. Lewis came out at the first bell, trying to dictate the pace but I wouldn’t let him do it,” said the new champion.

“After I won the heavyweight title, lots of people kept asking me if I was going to Disneyland. Being a life long Muslim, I told them,’No, I’m going to Mecca and that’s what I did after winning the title. This is the manner in which I am raising my children, so they will have these values instilled in them every day.”

Winning a heavyweight championship is terrific, but when you do it with one punch, emerging as an instant super star can be heavy duty. Baltimore’s phenom would not be an exception swimming in adulation.

“I was a free agent and everybody wanted a piece of the pie with the kind of bidding I couldn’t believe. The TV networks were taking their shot....both Showtime and HBO wanted to televise my fights, the latter’s price was $17 million for three future fights,” Rahman admitted.

When Rahman signed for the original against Lewis, there was a rematch clause. A roadblock surfaced when a Manhattan federal court judge ruled the rematch would be immediate. The Rock’s eye for business betrayed him, especially when he told associates, “Am I supposed to be upset? I’m going to make over $10 million to fight Lennox again.”

Both adversaries changed their styles. This time Rahman was no longer trying to dig inside the ex-champ’s defense to plant that TNT right. Lewis was aware Rahman left his arms out when he threw a left, but was open for right hands in the fourth round. Now it was Lennox with a hook and a sweeping right that put Hasim flat on his back. Rahman struggled to rise but as referee Joe Cortez tolled “nine”, he was finished.

In the recap, Rahman was brief, “Knockouts are part
of boxing, but I’m no quitter.”

Since losing the titles, Rahman had a technical loss to Evander Holyfield last year and had a draw with David Tua in a fight he appeared to have won on Mar.29.

The pride of Baltimore, with his 42-2-1, 31 KOs log, doesn’t dwell on the past, he has one obsession--- John Ruiz, who won the WBA crown from Holyfield in 2001 and lost it to Jones last Mar.1.

“Some of the media ask me if I felt Ruiz has gotten
unfair criticism. I’d have to say yes. Definitely he is better, he’s better than he’s been getting credit for. He knocked Holyfield down and I’ve seen him drop Kirk Johnson. In his last fight, he hurt Roy Jones with a right hand and buckled him early in their fight. He does deserve criticism for the Jones fight for his lack of doing things. But he’s definitely a dangerous fighter that if you sleep on him, he’ll definitely walk away with a victory.”

Rahman says he has been asked if Jones would
consider him if he can’t get a fight with Tyson.

“Not from the conversation I hear. Yet from commonsense, I think there’s not a whole lot of big fights out there. I feel myself and Jones could be a good fight based on how I do with Ruiz. And I feel if I come away with a sensational victory, the onus is going to be on Roy to make exciting fights for boxing. If he can’t put it together with Tyson, I think we are the only logical fight that makes sense.”

Rahman considers this matchup the kind of fight that can get him back on top.

“With Ruiz, I got a wonderful opportunity, I feel I’m
going to be fully prepared for anything he cares to bring to the table. I’m looking forward not only in regaining this portion of the heavyweight title, but also getting some unification matches elsewhere.”

How do you compare this fight with the one you had
with Holyfield?

“John Ruiz fought Holyfield three times...three hard fights. I fought Holyfield in a fight that was very difficult for me. I think this is my way of showing there is a difference and I feel like I’m better than Evander and Ruiz, so this is my chance to show it. I can do something that Holyfield didn’t do to Ruiz. That way I get back at Holyfield a little bit and kill two birds with one stroke, so to speak.”

Prior to this match-up, Rahman’s last outing was Mar.29 in Philadelphia where he finished in a draw with David Tua in a 12-round draw most observers felt he won.

“I’ll have more opportunities because John Ruiz throws more of an arsenal of punches than Tua. David doesn’t throw a jab and he really didn’t even try to jab with me. I’m going to be able to take advantage of a lot of mistakes I’ll see John Ruiz make. I’m in the mood to make it an exciting fight. But I’m not going to let myself get into a wrestling or grabbing contest. I’m in much too good condition to get into that. I can box and I can punch and I can fight, so I’m going to make sure I show that.”

Ruiz, known as “The Quiet Man” among his vast New England admirers, became known as the first fighter with Latino heritage to win a piece of the heavyweight crown when he upset HolyfIeld in Las Vegas on Mar. 3, 2001. He has a 38-5-1, 27 KOs record since turning pro in 1992.

Like his vaunted adversary, Ruiz is looking for a sensational triumph that will put him back high in the mix of world-class heavyweights.

“I feel great and even greater when this opportunity came, so i defiantly want to go ahead and jump on it. Rock is no easy task, he’s a tough fighter himself and very strong. I understand it’s going to be both a tough fight and a great fight. I’ve worked through my personal problems and my head is clear. I got back my killer instinct and that’s something I had lost in the past. I’ll be more aggressive. I’ll be more of a thinker instead of just letting the fight go. I‘ll go out there and do some boxing and I’ll do some brawling. I think that’s what’s going to win this fight,” Ruiz projected.

Whatever happens, Ruiz doesn’t consider this bout his last chance to be a ranking contender.

“I’m not really thinking about this being my last chance or opportunity. I’m always thinking about the people that I’m surrounded with. All the fans who come up and say, ‘look you’re a great fighter, don’t give up, just keep going.’ And my family and my team standing behind me gives me a feeling that I’d rather go out and do it for them than thinking this could be my last opportunity to be back on top.”

Ruiz doesn’t know whether an impressive win over Rahman could lead to a rematch with Jones.

“I don’t think so, it’s something where I don’t really care what he does. To me, Roy is not even a man anymore, he’s a great fighter but as a person, he’s totally shit to me. It’s something that I’d rather just forget about after I beat Rahman just have him give me my belt and let him move on with his life. The thing is it’s up to Don King, we’re focusing on this fight. I can’t say what will happen next. Every time I say something good will happen, next thing I get drug back down and it seems like I can never get that little extra step to make people think that I’m a great fighter and that’s a little more frustrating.”

Although Jones, at 193 pounds, spotted Ruiz 33 pounds, the latter coming in at 226, the dethroned
champion speaks with animosity regarding referee Jay Nady’s handling of the super-hyped championship fight.

“The way I see it in the Jones fight, I was out of the game before the fight even started. It didn’t help when Jay Nady, the referee, didn’t give me the opportunity to work inside, and the fact that Don King came down on me and somehow, somewhere I felt like what the hell is going on here I started questioning myself, somehow I quit on myself because I felt like I was battling so many things, so many obstacles,” Ruiz reflected.

“It wasn’t even worth it anymore. It’s true the referee didn’t give me the chance and my mind wasn’t ready for boxing because you definitely need to have a clear mind to move around, thinking what you are doing and throwing lot of jabs and stuff. My mind was so crowded with so much other crap other than boxing and you just go out there and just rumble. That was my only chance of actually winning that fight and the referee took it away from me.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.com and other fine websites).