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Thursday, May 10 BALTIMORE -- Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman will make a pilgrimage to Mecca before it's decided who he will face in his first title defense. Rahman, a devout Muslim, was expected to announce his next bout this week. Instead, he will leave this weekend for Saudi Arabia, Rahman promoter Cedric Kushner said Thursday. "He comes from a very religious upbringing in the Muslim faith," Kushner said. "No decision has been rendered on the fight. The pendulum swings back and forth." Jim Turner, a real estate agent who said he has known Rahman for more than 10 years, said the boxer has begun to examine his life following the championship bout and a recent accident. Rahman, his wife and child were slightly injured when their car was struck by another car while his motorcade left Baltimore's City Hall following a victory rally. "When he got hit by the car he realized life is short," Turner said outside Rahman's home in suburban Baltimore. "He could have been killed. I think that would bring you and I closer to our Lord." Mecca is the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the holiest site in Islam. The pilgrimage is an obligation for Muslims physically and financially able to make the trip. Rahman will decide whether to fight Mike Tyson or give a rematch to Lennox Lewis when he returns, Rizzo said. Rahman, who knocked out Lennox Lewis on April 21 in South Africa to take the IBF and WBC titles, has since been entertaining offers from HBO and Showtime over who he will fight next. On Wednesday, Rahman failed to show up at a meeting of Home Box Office executives in New York, who were expecting him to announce a deal with HBO to fight Lewis, The Sun reported Thursday. Rahman's co-manager, Steve Nelson said he, Rahman, co-manager Stan Hoffman and promoter Cedric Kushner met in New York on Tuesday to discuss a possible HBO deal and one with Showtime. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has also filed suit to force a fight with Rahman. The contract for the Rahman-Lewis fight in April reportedly included a 150-day window before a rematch has to be held. The Lewis camp contends Rahman cannot fight anyone else in the interim, while the Tyson camp says WBC rules stipulate against immediate rematches and that Rahman must now make a mandatory defense against the WBC's No. 1 contender, which is Tyson. He filed suit against the WBC in U.S. District Court in Manhattan last Friday to force that organization to enforce a rule that allows no immediate rematches. |