Boxing: Lewis regains belts in style

Lennox Lewis emphatically regained his status as world heavyweight champion in Las Vegas with one of the best punches he has ever thrown.

Lewis flattened Hasim Rahman with a nerve-jangling right hook to win back his WBC, IBF and IBO titles from the man who had ripped them from him so sensationally in South Africa seven months ago.

Rahman crashed backwards onto the canvas and briefly rose at the count of eight only to career forwards into the rope and referee Joe Cortez waved the contest off.

Lewis had boxed brilliantly from the outset against a man he had derided as a one-punch champion, and to whom he proved beyond doubt who is the number one heavyweight on earth.

Lewis had been given a little to think about by Rahman's left jab in the opening round but bloodied the American's left in the eye and found his range with a jab of his own.

Lewis, feeling the benefit of the extra half stone he had shedded since his defeat in South Africa, was bouncing around the ring and although he was occasionally guilty of dropping his hands, he began to box beautifully.

He caught Rahman in round three with a straight left which knocked his opponent back towards the ropes and was firmly in the ascendancy going into the fourth.

Lewis bullied Rahman back towards a neutral corner and turned his head with a glancing blow with his left hand before summoning up the super-punch which kept his career alive at the age of 36.

It was Lewis' 30th knockout win of a 42-fight career while Rahman fell to his third defeat in 38 fights.

Lewis said: "Rahman showed a lot of disrespect to me and I was just keeping it inside.

"I wanted to give him movement and he couldn't take the movement. Everytime I went around with the hook he stuck his right arm out.

"I just stayed focused, in South Africa I didn't take him seriously enough.

"Even Rahman wanted to see what I was doing before the fight. He came over to my door and I was just laughing. I definitely wasn't gun-shy.

"I want Tyson. But there are enough guys out there - I'll take whoever."