Toney
Defeats Rahman In controversial fashion, Hasim Rahman all but quit on the stool after the third round Wednesday night, giving James Toney the TKO decision and the NABO heavyweight championship. "I'm Back!" James Toney said to open up his post fight interview. "It feels great. I love boxing. I think its the best sport in the world. I'm back, happy to be back, and I want to fight the best fighters out there." Rahman,
whose developed a cut over his left eye after a ruled accidental
headbutt in the third round, repeatedly told referee Ray Corona
that he could not see out of his left eye. The Rahman camp believes that the fight should have been ruled a no contest because the injury that led to the end of the fight was ruled an accidental headbutt. "There is really nothing to say," Todd deBoef, president of Top Rank boxing, who promotes Rahman said. "We all know what the rules are, but the interpretation of the rules is not objective. It's not what I think, it's not what (Toney) thinks. It's what the rules are." Toney
said after the fight that he would not have a problem fighting Rahman
again. The three rounds that were fought were well contested, with Toney landing several big punches and Rahman connecting on a couple of good combos. Rahman said before the fight that he believed the winner of the fight should retire, however no official announcement was made after the fight. Toney is now seemingly in line for a world title shot. "I'm the best fighter in the world," Toney said. "I will fight anybody. I'll fight Klitschko, I'll fight Klitschko's sister." Most of the action on Wednesday night took place on the undercard, which was filled with tough fights. Francisco Santana got back on the winning track by defeating Alejandro Bogarin with a vicious body shot that led to the stoppage of the fight late in the fourth round. The win marks the first time that Santana, who suffered his first professional loss in March after winning his first eight bouts, has beat an opponent with a winning record. It was his second attempt. Also in the undercard two fighters kept their undefeated records intact. Marcus Dickerson defeated Helaman Olgin, who was competing in his first professional fight, and later Mike Dallas Jr. defeated Artemio Reyes Jr. by a unanimous decision. Results:
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