Toney Rahman: why a TKO was the right call

[Lance Uppercut]

By William Dettloff of The Ring Magazine


"As dissatisfying as was James Toney’s victory over Hasim Rahman, it was exactly right to call it a TKO rather than a no-contest. Why? Rahman chose not to fight anymore; that makes him the loser. If the ringside doctor said the cut was too bad for the fight to continue (it wasn’t), then a no-decision would have been the right call.


That wasn’t the case. Rahman had the same look on his face that he did when Evander Holyfield made him look like he had a Lincoln Navigator on his forehead. The look said: “Get me out of here.” If a fighter surrenders, he loses. I know that’s not what the rules say. The rules are wrong."

I thought the Holyfield fight should have been a no-contest. I think they ruled the swelling came from a punch and it came from Holyfield's forehead. There's no way that fight could have continued.

The holyfield fight was ruled an accidental head butt, but it was after 4 rounds were complete so they went to the score cards.