NEW YORK -- A Manhattan judge on Thursday rejected Cedric Kushner's claim he has exclusive rights to promote future fights of heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.

Kushner sued Rahman for breach of contract in federal court after the boxer signed with rival promoter Don King for $5 million. Rahman became WBC-IBF champion by knocking out Lennox Lewis in April, a bout promoted by Kushner.

At a non-jury trial earlier this month, attorneys for Kushner argued that provisions in a contract that expired in October guaranteed him the right to promote a rematch between Lewis and Rahman. They also claimed Rahman's manager had agreed to a contract extension covering future fights.

In a written decision, Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum agreed that, under the terms of the deal for the first Rahman-Lewis fight, Kushner could collect at least a portion of the promotional fee for a rematch. But the judge also ruled the promoter had not proved that Rahman's decision to jump to King violated an extension of their old contract.

Rahman's attorney, Michael Armstrong, called the ruling a victory for his client.

"He's the champion and he wanted to be free of Kushner, which is what he got," Armstrong said.

Kushner's attorney, Richard Edlin, said that even though the ruling meant King probably would promote a rematch, his client could still make money off of it. "In my view, he's working for us," he said of King.

A call to King's attorney was not immediately returned.

In a related decision last week, Cedarbaum ruled Rahman must fight Lewis next or he cannot fight anyone for 18 months. Rahman claimed the deal requiring a rematch was not valid.