Carpenter: 'Most amazing upset ever'

Lewis wasted a promising start against Rahman

Legendary BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter gives his expert view on Hasim Rahman's victory over Lennox Lewis.

That was the most amazing upset I have ever seen.

It was a massive turnover and I'm astonished at the way it happened - but as far as I'm concerned it was all Lennox Lewis' fault.

It was all very strange, because I thought Lennox was in reasonable control of the fight.

He had a good left hand, which he kept in Rahman's face - but he never once caught him with a right hand.

His timing with the right hand was appalling - and you wonder whether the altitude of the lack of training had something to do with it.

Lennox didn't look quite as sharp as he should have done.

Harry Carpenter: The BBC's veteran commentator was at ringside

And he left himself open all through the fight down the right-hand side.

He kept dropping the left, that whole side was exposed and that's how he was beaten - one right-hand straight in there and he was gone.

I don't think the victory was down to a contrived plan by Rahman, I think it was entirely Lennox Lewis' own fault.

I don't think he'd actually lost a round. He was in control, in the centre of the ring - but he did keep missing with the right-hand, which is a sign he wasn't himself.

He fought a bad fight, he left himself open and the guy took advantage of it.

Extraordinary reaction

I thought his reaction to the defeat was very understated - but it's all part of this Lennox Lewis strangeness.

Occasionally he comes out like a ruthless fighter and other times he looks like a pussycat.

Here he'd just been beaten, he'd lost all his titles and it was a total disaster - normally you can't get a fighter to come near a microphone if that's happened to him.

But Lennox calmly walked across to our reporter Gary Richardson and philosophically said: "It happens."

I found that extraordinary. It seems weird to me that he can do that - but it speaks of tremendous character on his part.

If he can summon such intelligent toughts so quickly after a massive defeat that has almost destroyed his career, then it shows he is an exceptional man.

I think I have to thank the BBC for dragging me out of retirement and bringing me to South Africa - it was the first fight I've seen for some time and fancy seeing something like that. I can't believe it.