It’s common practice for promoters to assign eye-catching titles to big boxing matches, aiming to spark the public’s curiosity and fuel the excitement leading up to the event. Sometimes these titles remain purely symbolic; other times, they perfectly reflect the fight’s dynamics. “Thunder in Africa” was the name given to the incredible first bout between heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis and his challenger Hasim Rahman—and the roar that erupted at South Africa’s Carnival City Casino when “The Rock” scored a thunderous knockout truly resembled a bolt of thunder piercing the stillness of the night.
This all happened exactly 24 years ago, on April 22: what better day to look back at that shocking upset that sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division?
A Distracted Champion and a Challenger Willing to Risk It All
Behind every major sporting upset lies a long period of sacrifice, sweat, and dedication that makes the miracle possible. Hasim Rahman didn’t have the aura of a natural-born talent: aside from a dynamite right hand, he was a rather ordinary boxer. Precisely because of that, he trained like a madman to cover his flaws and make the most of his strengths, chasing the dream of one day raising a championship belt.
Until the big opportunity came, his record showed an impressive KO rate—close to 80%—but also two brutal losses to David Tua and Oleg Maskaev. Interestingly, “The Rock” was ahead on the scorecards in both fights before making costly mistakes. Fully aware that he couldn’t leave anything to chance, Rahman arrived in Brakpan, South Africa, on March 27 to gradually acclimate to the local altitude—about 1,600 meters.
Lennox Lewis, on the other hand, seemed far less concerned. He only arrived on April 10 from Las Vegas, where he had been training in between filming scenes for “Ocean’s Eleven,” in which he had a cameo role. Not exactly the attitude of a fighter worried about a dangerous challenger—an impression reinforced by the scale, which showed Lewis at the highest weight of his career at that point, over 115 kg. He was a 20-to-1 favorite with the bookmakers and was close to signing a multimillion-dollar deal to fight Mike Tyson. Lennox probably felt the win was already in his pocket.
The KO No One Expected: Rahman On Top of the World!
If Lewis had been nonchalant in the lead-up to the fight, he was just as careless during the opening rounds. Unlike his cautious and strategic approach five months earlier against David Tua—when he won a classy decision—this time the British champion chose to brawl in the center of the ring, ignoring the threat posed by Rahman’s right hand. Instead of establishing his jab, he looked from the get-go to land power punches.
Rahman, however, wasn’t intimidated by his opponent’s swagger. He kept his composure, even when some of Lewis’s shots found their target. After a partially successful second round, Lewis pushed the pace in the third, unloading his full offensive arsenal. His vicious right hands were dodged well by Rahman, who ducked at just the right moments, though uppercuts at close range did sometimes catch him off guard.
Still, Lewis’s aggression allowed Rahman to land his own shots—mainly the left jab at first. Lewis came out blazing in round four, but Rahman managed to push him to the ropes for the first time, unleashing a furious flurry. It was Rahman’s best round until the decisive one, as he took advantage of Lewis’s overconfident attitude—often dropping both arms provocatively—and landed several meaningful punches.
Yet nothing foreshadowed what would unfold just minutes later in the dramatic, unimaginable fifth round. After a strong start, Lewis got caught by a sneaky right hand—but instead of seeing it as a warning, he responded with a cocky grin. That same grin was wiped off his face seconds later. Backing up with his hands down, Lewis tried to shrug off another Rahman attack when “The Rock” trapped him on the ropes and detonated a monstrous right hook that knocked the champion out cold.
There was no getting up in time. The ring was instantly stormed by fans, lifting the new champion high as he screamed, “No Lewis–Tyson!”
Rahman’s reign lasted only five months, just long enough for Lennox Lewis to come back in top shape and return the favor with an even more brutal KO. But this story teaches us that determination, hard work, and courage can sometimes overcome seemingly insurmountable odds—and in boxing, no opponent should ever be taken lightly.
Let’s close with Larry Merchant’s brilliant quip during HBO’s broadcast, referring to Lewis’s Hollywood distractions: “He just drowned in Ocean’s Eleven!”