View source for Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman

{{short description|Boxing competition}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name   = X-Plosive
| image        = [[File:Klitschko_vs._Rahman.jpg|230px]]
| caption      =
| fight date   = 13 December 2008
| location     = [[SAP Arena]] in [[Mannheim]], [[Germany]]
| titles       = [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]], [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]], and [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]] heavyweight titles
| fighter1     = {{flagicon|UKR}} Wladimir Klitschko
| nickname1    = "Dr. Steelhammer"
| hometown1    = [[Kyiv]], [[Kyiv Oblast]], [[Ukraine]]
| purse1       =
| record1      = 51–3 (44 KO)
| age1         = {{age in years and months |1976|3|25 |2008|12|13}}
| height1      = 6 ft 6 in
| weight1      = 245 lb
| style1       = Orthodox
| recognition1 = [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]], [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] and [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]]<br>Heavyweight Champion<br>[[The Ring (magazine)|''The Ring'']]<br>No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight
| fighter2     = {{flagicon|USA}} Hasim Rahman
| nickname2    = "The Rock"
| hometown2    = [[Baltimore, Maryland]], [[United States]]
| purse2       =
| record2      = 45–6–2 (1) (36 KO)
| age2         = {{age in years and months |1972|11|7 |2008|12|13}}
| height2      = 6 ft 2 in
| weight2      = 255 lb
| style2       = Orthodox
| recognition2 = [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]]<br>No. 4 Ranked Heavyweight<br>[[World Boxing Organization|WBO]]<br>No. 8 Ranked Heavyweight<br>Former unified heavyweight champion
| result       = Klitschko defeated Rahman by 7th round TKO
}}
'''[[Wladimir Klitschko]] vs. [[Hasim Rahman]]''', billed as "'''X-Plosive'''", was a professional boxing match contested on  13 December 2008 for the [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]], [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]], and [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]] heavyweight championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/en/event/562002/1348175|title=Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman - BoxRec|website=boxrec.com}}</ref>
==Background==
After unifying the IBF & WBO title by [[Wladimir Klitschko vs. Sultan Ibragimov|defeating]] [[Sultan Ibragimov]], Wladimir Klitschko made one title defence against WBO [[mandatory challenger]] [[Tony Thompson (boxer)|Tony Thompson]] before agreeing to face his IBF mandatory [[Alexander Povetkin]]. In October 2008 Povetkin withdrew with a leg injury, and with the second and third ranked contenders [[Alexander Dimitrenko]] and [[Chris Arreola]] unavailable, Klitschko agreed to face former unified champion and fourth ranked IBF contender Hasim Rahman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Wladimir_Klitschko_vs._Hasim_Rahman|title=Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman - BoxRec|website=boxrec.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/92162-my-thoughts-on-wladimir-klitschko-vs-hasim-rahman|title=My Thoughts On Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman|first=EJ|last=Claudio|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxingscene.com/wladimir-klitschko-vs-hasim-rahman-being-explored--16623|title=Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman is Being Explored|publisher=}}</ref>
Before agreeing to face Klitschko, Rahman had won four of his five fights since losing his WBC title in a close fight to [[Oleg Maskaev]], the fifth was a no contest with [[James Toney]]. He was the NABF continental champion, having defeated [[Zuri Lawrence]] for the title in 2007, and was retroactively ranked the world's 9th best heavyweight that year by BoxRec.<ref>[https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/BoxRec's_Annual_Ratings:_Heavyweight_Annuals BoxRec's Annual Ratings: Heavyweight Annuals.] [[BoxRec]]. Retrieved December 13, 2023.</ref> He was also ranked within the top ten by both the IBF and WBO, and 12th by the WBC. He was aiming to join [[Muhammad Ali]], [[Evander Holyfield]], and [[Lennox Lewis]] as the only boxers ever to win a heavyweight title on three or more occasions.
On the undercard, former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion [[Riddick Bowe]] fought what would turn out to be the final fight of his career, beating journeyman [[Gene Pukall]] by an 8-round unanimous decision.
==The fight==
[[File:Wladimir Klitschko (2008-12-13).jpg|thumb|right|Klitschko in action against Rahman]]
Klitschko dominated the fight winning every round on the scorecards (two judges had it 60-53, the third scored it 60-47), scoring a knockdown the 6th round with a series of jabs followed by a right hand to the chin of Rahman who survived before referee Tony Weeks ended the fight in the seventh round. According to [[CompuBox]] Klitschko landed 178 punches with 48% accuracy, against Rahman's 30 punches with 14% accuracy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/3743789/Vladimir-Klitschko-KOs-Hasim-Rahman.html|title=Vladimir Klitschko KO's Hasim Rahman|first=Telegraph staff and|last=agencies|work=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=2018-06-02|language=en}}</ref>
==Aftermath==
After his victory, Klitschko agreed to face former unified [[Cruiserweight (boxing)|cruiserweight]] champion [[David Haye]] in Germany in June 2009, however, Haye pulled out and was [[Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev|replaced]] by the WBA "Champion In recess" [[Ruslan Chagaev]].
Rahman would spend 15 months out of the ring after this fight before returning to knockout his next five opponents before losing in two rounds to Povetkin. He would retire after a decision loss to the unknown [[Anthony Nansen]] in June 2014.
==Undercard==
Confirmed bouts:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/en/event/562002|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=boxrec.com}}</ref>
{|class=wikitable
!Winner !! Loser!! Weight division/title belt(s) disputed !! Result
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cornelius Bundrage]]
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Zaurbek Baysangurov]]
|Super Welterweight (12 rounds)
|5th-round TKO.
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Wilhelm Fischer (boxer)|Wilhelm Fischer]]
|{{flagicon|LAT}} Edgars Kalnars
|Heavyweight (8 rounds)
|4th-round KO.
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Riddick Bowe]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Gene Pukall]]
|Heavyweight (8 rounds)
|Unanimous decision.
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Robin Krasniqi]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} Lars Buchholz
|Light Heavyweight (6 rounds)
|Unanimous decision.
|-
|{{flagicon|CRO}} [[Mario Preskar]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} Hans-Joerg Blasko
|Heavyweight (8 rounds)
|3rd round RTD.
|-
|{{flagicon|ALB}} Fatjon Murati
|{{flagicon|AUT}} Omar Jatta
|Light Heavyweight (4 rounds)
|Unanimous decision.
|}
==Broadcasting==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align=center | Country
! align=center | Broadcaster
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} || [[The Sports Network|TSN]]
|-
| {{flag|Germany}} || [[RTL Television|RTL]]
|-
| {{flag|Hungary}} ||  [[Sport1 (Eastern Europe)|Sport 1]]
|-
| {{flag|Russia}} || [[Russia-2|RTR Sport]]
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || [[Inter (TV channel)|Inter]]
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || [[Setanta Sports]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Gareth A Davies |title=David Haye on course for a clash with Klitschko – Wladimir or Vitali |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/3690733/David-Haye-on-course-for-a-clash-with-Klitschko-Wladimir-or-Vitali.html |website=telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph |access-date=8 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908154059/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/3690733/David-Haye-on-course-for-a-clash-with-Klitschko-Wladimir-or-Vitali.html |archive-date=8 September 2024 |date=9 December 2008}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || [[HBO]]
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = vs. [[Tony Thompson (boxer)|Tony Thompson]]
| title = [[Wladimir Klitschko]]'s bouts
| years = 13 December 2008
| after = [[Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev|vs. Ruslan Chagaev]]
}}
{{succession box
| before = vs. [[James Toney]] II
| title = [[Hasim Rahman]]'s bouts
| years = 13 December 2008
| after = vs. Clinton Boldridge
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Wladimir Klitschko}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klitschko, Rahman}}
[[Category:2008 in boxing]]
[[Category:2008 in German sport]]
[[Category:December 2008 sports events in Germany]]
[[Category:Boxing matches in Germany]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Wladimir Klitschko|Rahman]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Hasim Rahman|Klitschko]]
[[Category:Boxing on HBO]]
[[Category:International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:World Boxing Organization heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:International Boxing Organization heavyweight championship matches]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Mannheim]]