| Oleg Maskaev | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Oleg Maskaev |
| Nickname(s) | The Big O |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Reach | 201 cm (79 in) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Born | March 2, 1969 Zhambyl, Soviet Union |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 43 |
| Wins | 36 |
| Wins by KO | 27 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev (Russian: Олег Александрович Маскаев; born March 2, 1969, in Zhambyl, Kazakh SSR) is a Russian professional boxer and a former WBC heavyweight champion. He is an ethnic Mordvin.
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Maskaev, a former mine worker, began his career in the 1980s as an amateur boxer in the Soviet Union, where he held a victory over world champion Vitali Klitschko. He was the champion of the Soviet Army and later the national cup winner. His professional boxing career began in 1993.
Oleg is known for his powerful right-hand punch: he has knocked out former WBO heavyweight challenger Derrick Jefferson, contender Alex Stewart, and twice knocked out former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. However, he is also noted for a weak chin that was evident in his knockout losses to contenders Oliver McCall, David Tua, Kirk Johnson, Lance Whitaker, Corey Sanders and journeyman Nagy Aguilera.
His most famous victories have been his two wins over Hasim Rahman. Maskaev knocked Rahman off balance, sending his rival out of the ring in the 8th round on November 6, 1999. This fight is also notable for the famous "chair incident", in which noted referee, Steve Smoger, who was backup referee for this fight, was struck in the head by a chair thrown by a fan who was later arrested.
He later fought Rahman again and defeated him for the WBC heavyweight title by knocking him out in the 12th round on August 12 2006. His second win over Rahman was preceded by a streak of victories that helped rejuvenate Maskaev's career and earned him the "Comeback fighter of the Year" award in The Ring magazine in 2006.
Maskaev won his first title defense against Peter Okhello on December 10 2006 by unanimous decision.
Maskaev fought against Samuel Peter for the WBC Heavyweight title on March 8 2008 and was doing well in the early rounds, despite Peter's repeated rabbit punching and the referee's warnings. In the 5th round Maskaev landed some of his best shots on his opponents chin, but to no avail: Peter was seemingly unaffected, visibly shaking Oleg. He lost 5 of the 6 rounds, with Peter winning by TKO with 3 seconds remaining in the sixth round.
In late 2008 he beat opponent Robert Hawkins by UD after 10 rounds and then defeated but unheralded Rich Boruff on March 14, 2009 via first round KO, giving him mandatory contender status to the WBC Heavyweight Championship currently held by Vitali Klitschko. He fought Nagy Aguilera on December 11 in Sacramento, California at the Memorial Auditorium in a tune up fight for his eliminator with Nagy Aguilera, but was shockingly knocked out in the first round. Getting stunned with a overhand right-left hook combo and knocked down soon after, another barrage by Aquilera hit Maskaev hard knocking him out. Maskaev did not land a punch in the fight, and has since stated that he may retire following the loss.
Maskaev was born in Taraz to Mordvin parents. He has lived in the U.S. since 1999 with his wife, Svetlana, and four daughters. He acquired US citizenship in 2004. He currently resides in West Sacramento, California. Before his first encounter with Hasim Rahman in 2006, he said "I would say I'm a proud Russian-American. So right now, I'm a citizen of America, of [the] United States... Whoever is going to win is going to be American."[1] In the run-up to his title defense against Peter Okhello, he stated regarding his citizenship: "Russian. I don't want to talk about that anymore. I will walk to the ring under the Russian flag and Russian anthem as I'm now a Russian citizen."[2] Russian president Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship on December 9, 2006.[3]
| 36 Wins (27 knockouts, 9 decisions), 7 Losses, 0 Draws [1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 36–7 | Nagy Aguilera | TKO | 1 (10) | 11/12/2009 | Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, United States | Maskaev was down prior to knockout. |
| Win | 36–6 | Rich Boruff | TKO | 1 (10) | 14/03/2009 | Ice Palace, Saransk, Russia | |
| Win | 35–6 | Robert Hawkins | UD | 10 | 06/09/2008 | Red Square, Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 34–6 | Samuel Peter | TKO | 6 (12) | 08/03/2008 | Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Lost WBC heavyweight title. |
| Win | 34–5 | Okello Peter | UD | 12 | 10/12/2006 | Olympisky Sport Hall, Moscow, Russia | Retained WBC heavyweight title. |
| Win | 33–5 | Hasim Rahman | TKO | 12 (12) | 12/08/2006 | Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won WBC heavyweight title. |
| Win | 32–5 | Sinan Samil Sam | UD | 12 | 12/11/2005 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | Won WBC International heavyweight title. WBC heavyweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 31–5 | Livin Castillo | TKO | 3 (10) | 24/06/2005 | Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Castillo was knocked down twice in the 3rd round. |
| Win | 30–5 | Quinn Navarre | KO | 3 (10) | 22/01/2005 | Coushatta Casino Resort, Kinder, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 29–5 | David Defiagbon | SD | 10 | 23/07/2004 | Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Defiagbon down in round 6. |
| Win | 28–5 | Craig Tomlinson | TKO | 2 (10) | 16/04/2004 | Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 27–5 | Julius Francis | TKO | 2 (10) | 27/11/2003 | Olimpyskiy Sports Palace, Chekhov, Russia | |
| Win | 26–5 | Dennis McKinney | TKO | 1 (10) | 25/09/2003 | Huntington Townhouse, Huntington Station, New York, United States | |
| Win | 25–5 | Sedreck Fields | TKO | 9 (10) | 06/09/2003 | Sport Palace, Kiev, Ukraine | Fields corner threw in the towel. |
| Win | 24–5 | Gary Winmon | TKO | 1 (8) | 28/06/2003 | D.C. Armory, District of Columbia, United States | |
| Win | 23–5 | Errol Sadikovski | TKO | 1 (10) | 15/02/2003 | Multi-Purpose Center, Lewiston, Maine, United States | |
| Loss | 22–5 | Corey Sanders | TKO | 8 (10) | 17/03/2002 | Gold Country Casino, Oroville, California, United States | Maskaev down twice in round 8. |
| Win | 22–4 | David Vedder | TKO | 6 (10) | 30/11/2001 | Hilton Hotel, Reno, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 21–4 | Brian Nix | TKO | 6 (10) | 25/08/2001 | Flamingo Hilton, Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 20–4 | Lance Whitaker | KO | 2 (12) | 10/03/2001 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title. |
| Loss | 20–3 | Kirk Johnson | KO | 4 (12) | 07/10/2000 | Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Lost PABA heavyweight title. |
| Win | 20–2 | Derrick Jefferson | TKO | 4 (10) | 20/05/2000 | Bally's Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hasim Rahman |
WBC Heavyweight Champion August 12, 2006 – March 8, 2008 |
Succeeded by Samuel Peter |