COCKY LEWIS GETS WHAT HE DESERVES.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Television analyst Larry Merchant said it well: ``You make a fighter a serious opponent when you don't take him seriously.''

Lennox Lewis didn't take Hasim Rahman seriously and he paid the price on a stunning Sunday morning in South Africa. In other words, the heavyweight champion who seemed to be all but unbeatable got what he deserved.

Rahman, a 28-year-old power-puncher from Baltimore, went to Africa to focus on his training and get acclimated to the time difference and the high altitude after training a month in the Catskill Mountains in New York.

Lewis, cocksure he couldn't be beaten, trained in low-altitude Las Vegas and took time out to film a movie less than two weeks before the fight.

Rahman weighed a trim 237, lighter than his previous bout. He was in excellent condition. Lewis, 35, weighed in at 253 pounds, the most he's weighed since he was 251 for his rematch with Oliver McCall in 1997. That was tangible evidence he hadn't trained hard.

During the fight, Rahman was calculating and kept risk to a minimum.

Lewis fought with his guard down, both literally and figuratively. And he didn't use perhaps his most effective weapon, his jab, instead looking vainly for one big right hand he was certain would put Rahman away.

It all added up to what we saw on Saturday: Lewis' first loss in 6 1/2 years, a new universally recognized champion and a heavyweight division that has taken on an entirely new look.

This isn't to say Rahman couldn't have scored a knockout if Lewis was at his best. Any fighter - particularly a big puncher like Rahman - can stop anyone in any fight with the right punch or combination of punches.

This is to say Lewis opened the door to his fate with his lackadaisical approach both before and during the fight.

Had he prepared for this fight as he did for, say, his first fight with Evander Holyfield - both physically and mentally - logic says he would have controlled the fight and significantly limited the chances for disaster.

Instead, he wasn't in prime condition, he seemed to be uninspired in the ring and he showed Rahman no respect, marching straight at him with his hands down as if Rahman were an utter pushover.

In fact, at least on this day, Rahman was what Lewis was not: a professional. He did what a fighter is supposed to do before every fight; he worked hard. Lewis hardly worked.

After the fight, Lewis at least half jokingly described Rahman's big right hand that ended the fight in the fifth round as a ``lucky punch.''

Rahman couldn't resist responding to that comment: ``Luck is being prepared when an opportunity presents itself.''

Let that be a lesson to the many big-name fighters who get caught up in the glamour that surrounds them and forget to do the things that got them there in the first place.

--The past: Where does this rank among the biggest upsets in heavyweight history? Probably among the top five.

No. 1 is Buster Douglas' knockout of Mike Tyson in 1990. No fight ever was more shocking, although looking back, we should've seen it coming. Like Lewis on Saturday, Tyson wasn't prepared. The difference between the two fights is that Douglas was a better fighter than Rahman.

Another stunner was Evander Holyfield's 11th-round knockout of Tyson in 1996. Again, it's not surprising looking back.

Then there was Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston in 1964. History tells us Clay (Muhammad Ali) was the better fighter, but we didn't know it at the time.

Lewis-Rahman most resembles James J. Braddock's decision over Max Baer in 1935.

Like Lewis, Baer had unique tools but never took training seriously and never realized his potential as a result. Braddock was a solid but limited fighter who was ready when the opportunity presented itself.

Among other notable upsets: Leon Spinks over Ali in 1978, Max Schmelling over a young Joe Louis in 1933, Ali over George Foreman in 1974 and McCall over Lewis in 1994.

--The future: A likely scenario could have Rahman fighting a journeyman in about three months to cash in on his good fortune and then facing a motivated Lewis again before the end of the year and losing.

Of course, a rematch clause in a contract doesn't always result in an immediate rematch. Rahman might turn to Mike Tyson and what could be a bigger payday and less-significant challenge than a second fight with Lewis.

Of course, that's the ideal scenario for Tyson, who probably couldn't cope with Lewis but might be favored to beat Rahman.

How does WBA champ John Ruiz fit into the equation? Who cares?

--To his credit: Lewis, who remained in the ring after the fight to be interviewed on HBO, should be commended for not making excuses.

``This is what happens in heavyweight boxing,'' he said, meaning any fight can end with a big punch. ``... I got caught with a good shot.''

--Ouch: It's been a tough few weeks for HBO, Emanuel Steward and England.

Naseem Hamed was handed his first loss by Marco Antonio Barrera on April 7 and Lewis lost Saturday. Hamed and Lewis are (were?) prime attractions on HBO, trained by Steward and from England.

--Say it ain't so: Tonya Harding, the renegade figure skater,is rumored to be considering a career as a boxer.

She could succeed. She's a fine athlete and knows the value of good conditioning. And, if she played any role in the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, she's also mean.

--Whitaker comeback: Pernell Whitaker, who hasn't fought since he was easily outpointed by Felix Trinidad in February of 1999, makes his comeback against Carlos Bojorquez on Friday in Lake Tahoe on ESPN2.

The one-time pound-for-pound champion, now 37, says he never retired.

``I never announced my retirement,'' he said on a recent conference call. ``I never even thought about it. The fight with Trinidad is one I accept was close enough to lose. I fought with a broken jaw for six rounds and I survived it. I give myself credit for that.

``If not for that broken jaw, I would have gotten him out of there in eight or nine rounds.''

Dino Duva, Whitaker's promoter, reportedly has been approached by Oscar De La Hoya's handlers about a possible rematch in the fall if De La Hoya beats Javier Castillejo in June.

``That's the fight fans want to see,'' Whitaker said. ``... I don't care about titles anymore. For me, it's about the best fighting the best.''

The problem is that Whitaker no longer is one of the best.

--Six heads watch: Andrew ``Six Heads'' Lewis, who defends his WBA welterweight title against fringe contender Larry Marks on Saturday in New York on HBO, has emerged as the most compelling big-name opponent for WBC champ Shane Mosley.

Lewis, who is from Guyana, South America, made a splash with his seventh-round knockout of tough James Page in February. He showed the kind of speed and power that would give anyone trouble.

If he wins Saturday, he could share a card with Mosley this summer to build interest in a subsequent bout between the two.

``That is a dream fight,'' Lewis said. ``Mosley is a good fighter and I believe I would be the winner if we fight. It would be a great fight. I see the fight in my mind. I know the dream will come true. I know.''

Mosley, of Pomona, likes the idea.

``I want to unify the titles, so whoever has a belt is the one I want to fight,'' he said recently. ``(Lewis) is a very energetic fighter. He threw a lot of punches and he was in great shape. But I think my talent is superior than his, and I think that I'm a little faster and my head movement is a lot better. It will give him trouble. It's what gives everyone trouble.''

--Coming up: Heavyweight contender Kirk Johnson faces Derrick Banks in a 10-round bout on Tuesday in Richmond, Va. ...

On Saturday, Joe Calzaghe faces Mario Veit in a 12-round super middleweight bout in Cardiff, Wales, on Showtime.

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Photo:

Britain's Lennox Lewis, right, is knocked out Sunday by Baltimore's Hasim Rahman, for whom the now ex-champ did not prepare.

Nick Potts/Associated Press