Hasim Rahman shocked the boxing world when he knocked out Lennox Lewis to become heavyweight champion in 2001.
But 25 years later, he was fighting in front of just a handful of people in Lowell, Indiana and losing a split decision to a club fighter on Thursday night.
Rahman made a sad return to the ring 12 years after his last fight at VFW Post 6841, fighting against 4-4 opponent Phillip Triantafillo for the Indiana State heavyweight belt.
And he lost a six-round unanimous decision, with two judges’ scorecards scoring the bout 59-55 and the other 58-56. The loss drops his record to 50-10-2 in a fight that was a far cry from his glory days as the king of boxing’s biggest division.
Rahman has been threatening a comeback for years, finally announcing in May he would return to the ring and claiming he had ambitions of becoming boxing’s oldest heavyweight champion.
That record is held by George Foreman, who regained the heavyweight championship at 45, eight years younger than Rahman.
Hasim Rahman lost a unanimous decision as he made a sad comeback to boxing at the age of 53
Rahman was once the IBC and WBC heavyweight boxing champion back in 2001
His low-key loss against Triantafillo drew criticism from those within the boxing community.
Legendary promoter Lou DiBella wrote on X: ‘In the early hours of this morning, in Lowell, Indiana, 53 yr. old former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman lost a six round sanctioned #boxing match to a 3-4 guy… a SANCTIONED fight.
‘Every day, in many ways, across borders, from billionaire and corporate supported events to unsafe silliness in tiny venues, boxing is showing you what it is in 2026. You can have it!’.
Boxing writer Dan Rafael wrote: ‘Just watched some sad s***: Utterly washed former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, age 53, ending a 13-year retirement & losing a slow motion 6-rounder to 40-year-old novice Phillip Triantafillo (now 5-4) in what looked like a community center gym in front of maybe a dozen people. #Boxing is unforgiving.’
Baltimore, Maryland native Rahman last fought professionally in June 2014, losing a three-round decision in Auckland, New Zealand against Anthony Nansen.
Two years earlier, he had been knocked out in the second round by Alexander Povetkin in a fight that marked the end of his career at the top level.
Rahman produced one of the sport’s great upsets when he beat Lewis in April 2001 in South Africa, knocking him out in the fifth round before losing a rematch later that year.
He went on to fight the likes of Evander Holyfield, James Toney and Wladimir Klitchsko in his long career which has now featured another chapter long past his 50th birthday.
Rahman was beaten by his 4-4 opponent in a six-round contest in front of barely any people
Rahman shocked the boxing world when he knocked out Lennox Lewis in South Africa in 2001
Another former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, made headlines for his return to the ring in 2024 aged 58 against Jake Paul.
He recently insisted he would ‘never’ return again, saying: ‘That’s why I did the last fight. So I never have to do it again.’
Tyson earned a reported $20 million payday for that return to the ring, which ended with a sad unanimous decision loss, but he later wrote: ‘This is one of those situations when you lost but still won.
‘I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.
‘To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.’
