Bout Is a Main-Card Draw

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. —  The heavyweight boxing division took a small step forward Saturday night, courtesy of some skillful boxing by World Boxing Council champion Hasim Rahman and thunderous right hands from challenger James Toney.

However, in typical form, the sport also took half a step back -- one judge saw the fight completely different from the other two, resulting in a majority decision draw for Rahman at Boardwalk Hall.

Rahman retained the WBC title while the 37-year-old Toney, who was trying to become the oldest first-time heavyweight champion, was left appealing for a rematch.

“We need to get rid of these ... judges and let the fans vote,” said Toney, a Detroit native who lives in Calabasas.

Judge John Stewart had Rahman winning, 117-111; judges Thomas Kaczmarek and Nobuaki Uratani scored it even, 114-114.

Bob Arum, who promotes the 33-year-old Rahman, was completely dissatisfied with the judging of Kaczmarek and Uratani.

“No wonder why boxing is in trouble,” Arum said. “I don’t know what fight the judges were watching.”

The fighters offered distinctively different styles. Rahman (44-5-2, 22 knockouts), about five inches taller than Toney (69-4-3, 43) and with a nearly seven-inch advantage in reach, was baited into close quarters against the challenger, who took advantage by landing several solid uppercuts and overhand rights throughout the 12-round bout.

On several occasions, Toney actually backed into the ropes in an effort to bring Rahman closer. Only once did Rahman not fall for the trap.

“I know James Toney is so tough and so skillful inside,” Rahman said. “I thought I could do OK, though. I know that’s playing into James’ style; he’s probably the best puncher in any division, but I’m a fighter and sometimes I don’t listen to my coach.”

Toney bloodied Rahman’s lip and opened a cut in his left eyelid in the middle rounds. About half an hour after the fight, Toney’s face was clear of marks, while both of Rahman’s eyes were battered and blood still showed on his lip.

“He’s swelled up like he has the mumps,” Toney said.

The damage was part of what Dan Goossen, Toney’s promoter, cited in demanding a rematch.

“This has to be mandated to do over again because we have to get a winner out of mandatory fight,” said Goossen, who is based in Sherman Oaks.

Rahman, who was defending a title he won in August, said he would leave it up to his handlers to plan his next fight. He was confident that Saturday’s match breathed some life back in the heavyweight division.

“He hit me with some great shots; I hit him with some great shots,” Rahman said. “I think the heavyweight division needed a good fight and we put on a good fight.”

In an unusual show of respect, both fighters hugged at the post-fight news conference and complimented each other’s effort.

“Win, lose or draw, James Toney coming in was already a Hall of Famer,” Rahman said. “I learned a thing or two from James tonight.”

Questionable judging was not limited to the Rahman-Toney fight.

In the semi-main event, Dmitriy Salita of Brooklyn, N.Y., came into the eight-round super-lightweight fight with a 24-0 record, but was knocked down twice in the first round by Ramon Montano of Las Vegas, who came in 10-3-1 with one knockout. Another first-round fall was ruled a slip.

Montano again battered Salita in the fifth round, opening a cut under his left eye, and cruised in the last two rounds, believing he was on his way to the upset.

But judge Eugenia Williams gave the edge to Salita, 75-74, Lawrence Layton gave it to Montano, 76-74, and Robert Grasso scored it 75-75, resulting in one of three draws on the nine-bout card.

In another undercard bout, Noriko Ann Kariya, the 26-year-old sister of former Mighty Duck hockey player Paul Kariya, lost for the first time in four professional fights in a four-round bantamweight bout. Kariya lost a majority decision to 35-year-old Suszannah Warner (3-3-1), originally of Britain.