Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman said last night that he has signed to fight a rematch with David Tua to determine a challenger to the International Boxing Federation crown that Evander Holyfield and Chris Byrd are fighting for next month in Atlantic City, N.J.
Baltimore's Rahman (35-4, 29 knockouts) said the fight is projected to take place in March at a location to be determined.
Rahman was 29-0 in December 1998 when he lost for the first time as a professional to Tua, who was behind on points when the fight was stopped with Rahman on the ropes in the 10th.
The Rahman-Tua fight is contingent upon Tua (41-3, 36 KOs) winning on Nov. 30 against Kentucky heavyweight Russell Chasteen in Atlantic City.
The Rahman camp is convinced that, if Tua wins, he will sign the deal to fight Rahman.
"He's been calling me out all over the Internet, saying that I've been stalling, so now I'm ready. And now it's up to him," Rahman said last night from Manhattan, where he was dining with his wife, Crystal, promoter Don King and co-managers Stan Hoffman and Steve Nelson.
In their first fight, Tua staggered Rahman with a punch after the bell ending the ninth round and was not penalized. Rahman appeared to still be dazed at the start of the 10th round.
"I feel like that fight was taken from me," Rahman said. "I definitely feel like I can improve on that fight. I'm going to put every ounce of energy into doing to this man what no one has done to him."
Rahman is coming off a technical decision loss in June to Holyfield, who will battle Byrd for the now-vacant IBF title that Lennox Lewis gave up rather than fight Byrd. The Rahman-Holyfield fight ended after an accidental head butt against Holyfield caused a grotesque hematoma on Rahman's head.
Rahman said the injury has since healed.
"It was a pretty big lump with a lot of blood. It took me about a month to recover," Rahman said. "I feel like the IBF title is vacant, and the top four people are going to fight it out to see who is the champion."
Rahman, who will work his second fight under renowned Philadelphia trainer Bouie Fisher, said he will begin his training locally, perhaps in the Mack Lewis or UMAR gyms in Baltimore, or at the Laurel Boys & Girls Club.
"This would be the longest I haven't been in the gym, but it was the rest I needed," Rahman said. "But I couldn't go out like I did against Holyfield. It's time to start it up again."
Said Hoffman: "He's not been back in the gym in terms of sparring, but he's been lifting weights. We hope to get him back into sparring during the first week of December or so. Then after he beats Tua, he'll be the No. 1 mandatory to fight the Holyfield-Byrd winner."