Rahman looks to add to Rocky tale

A fighter battling his way out of the ghetto and a life of crime to become a champion is not an unusual tale in the world of boxing.

Hasim Rahman's story is one which follows this familiar plot but -- like any good read -- there are a few compelling twists.

Shot five-times in a drive by shooting, arrested for drug dealing and car theft, Rahman's future appeared to be one that would feature more prisons than penthouses.

But now just seven months after stripping Lennox Lewis of both his World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) crowns with one thundering right, Rahman can complete what is an inspiring reclamation - even by boxing standards, if he can defeat the Briton in Saturday's heavyweight title fight rematch.

"I believe I'm some little children's hero and some adults can look at my story and get something out of it and inspire them," said Rahman, 29, a devout Muslim and father of three. "But I'm just trying to help when I can and lead by example."

There was little uplifting to be found in Rahman's early life as street thug.

Even when he finally discovered boxing as a 20-year-old and began to turn his life around, the road to fame and fortune did not appear to run through the gritty East Baltimore gym where he trained.

After just 10 amateur fights Rahman turned professional in 1994, developing a reputation as a big puncher with big heart as he pounded his way to a record of 29-0 before absorbing his first loss to David Tua.

JOURNEYMAN TAG

But even as Rahman continued to pile up wins and knockouts he could not escape the tag of journeyman and when he was given a shot at a title few gave him a chance, including Lewis, who took time out from training to film a cameo appearance with Julia Roberts in remake of the Hollywood gangster movie Oceans 11, before arriving in South Africa.

"He (Lewis) has had all these hundreds of amateur fights, two Olympics, fought great, great fighters but yet this little bum, this little journeyman, this little guy that don't have a chance...now he's fighting the biggest fight of his life against me," said Rahman.

Having only just begun to look comfortable in the luxurious trappings that go along with being world champion, including a 62nd floor penthouse suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel with a sweeping vista of the Las Vegas strip, Rahman is already making plans of moving out, claiming he will retire in two years when he turns 31.

Rahman, who will pocket $10 million from Saturday's fight, said, if he wins, he will look for three or four more big paydays and then return to school to get his degree and begin a new life as a businessman.

"I just don't want to be boxing when I'm in my 30s like Lennox," said Rahman, who donated $500,000 from his $7 million purse for beating Lewis to the New York September 11 relief effort. "I think that if I enjoyed the success he had I wouldn't be boxing right now.

"I look at him and Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson and I think all three of them are on the down side of their careers.

"I don't ever want to get like that.

"I can go to the well three or four more times then I'm gone. I'm out."