'Rahman will go down in the 4th round'

World heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will express his invincibility by knocking out challenger Hasim Rahman in the fourth round.

Rahman can consider himself lucky that he is not Mike Tyson. The British holder of the WBC, IBF and IBO titles would otherwise have cut the scheduled 12 rounds distance even shorter.

That is the chilling message from Lewis's American trainer Emmanuel Steward ahead of the "Thunder in Africa" bout at Carnival City's Big Top Arena on April 22.

Steward says Lewis will come out with guns blazing from the opening round.

"Lennox ... will put the pressure on Hasim, because he wants to get it over with quickly by making an impressive and explosive performance for the people of South Africa. I can't see Hasim lasting the distance. In fact I don't think it'll go beyond the fourth round.

"People don't believe it. But if Hasim were Tyson he would have been knocked out within three rounds. Lennox doesn't like opponents he considers a threat. That is why he knocked out Andrew Golota (KO1, October 1997), Michael Grant (KO2, April 2000) and Francois Botha (KO2, July 2000). He considered them punchers and a threat."

The champion doesn't see Rahman as a serious threat.

He doesn't underestimate him though, because of a bitter experience indelibly marked in the champion's memory - his second round knockout by Oliver McCall and loss of the WBC belt back in September 1994.

Lewis regained the title by stopping a disorientated McCall 29 months later, with Steward orchestrating the win from Lewis's corner.

The trainer says what puts Lewis above current contenders is that besides using his height to good advantage, he is also an intelligent fighter who uses his enormous physique well.

"Lennox uses his reach (81cm) to keep opponents at a distance," he said. "But he can close the distance as he wishes and make opponents fight his way. And he can punch."

Is there a challenger out there who can beat Lewis? "No" says Steward emphatically. He should know. He was previously in the corners of McCall, Michael Moorer and Evander Holyfield, and now Lewis when they won versions of the title.