Wladimir Klitschko stopped Hasim Rahman in the seventh round to retain his IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight titles at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany.

Rahman, who famously beat Lennox Lewis to become heavyweight champion of the world in 2001, barely landed a punch as the Ukrainian dominated the encounter from start to finish.

Klitschko's left jab caused problems for Rahman from the start and the American had to resort to holding the Kiev fighter to stem the tide of punches coming his way in the early rounds.

Rahman started to look in trouble in the third when he spent most of the round on the ropes as Klitschko landed several solid jabs on the American's chin.

Klitschko followed up a bruising fourth round with a series of jabs in the fifth that kept his opponent on the ropes.

Klitschko put his opponent on the canvas in the sixth with a flurry of left hooks. Rahman got up after a seven count but spent the rest of the round on the ropes and only the bell saved him.

The champion finished the job 44 seconds into the seventh round when he followed up a left jab with a hook over the top to put Rahman in the corner before referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight.