Rahman Outpoints Barrett

Former champ Hasim Rahman was awarded a unanimous decision over Monte Barrett after 12 lackluster rounds. Neither fighter did much to press the action but at least Rahman was moving so the judges gave him the nod by scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 118-110. Despite the less-than-stellar performance, Rahman "earned" the right to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title. Assuming two small cuts over Rahman's left eye are not an issue, the Klitschko-Rahman bout could be held before the end of the year. On the undercard, Ricardo Mayorga dropped Michele Piccirillo three times on his way to a unanimous 12-round decision. Also, Oliver McCall, 40, scored a fourth-round KO over Przemyslaw Saleta.