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Oleg Maskaev Олег Маскаев
Born	Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev (1969-03-02)2 March 1969 (age 56) Abay,Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (now Kazakhstan)
Nationality	Russian (since 2006) American (since 2004) Uzbekistani (1991−2004) Soviet (until 1991)
Other names	The Big O
Statistics
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Reach	201 cm (79 in)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	46
Wins	39
Wins by KO	28
Losses	7
Medal record Men'samateur boxing Representing Uzbekistan World Cup 1994 Bangkok Super heavyweight Asian Games 1994 Hiroshima Super heavyweight

Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev (Russian:Олег Александрович Маскаев; born 2 March 1969) is a Kazakhstani-born formerprofessional boxer of Mordvinian origin, who competed from 1995 to 2013, and held theWBCheavyweight title from 2006 to 2008. Throughout his career, he representedSoviet Union,Uzbekistan,United States andRussia.

His father isMoksha from theZubova Polyana district ofMordovia and mother isUkrainian fromKuban, Southern Russia.^[1]

Maskayev, a formermine worker, began his boxing career in the 1980s as anamateur in his hometownAbay. In 1991 he stopped future WBC world championVitali Klitschko in the second round.

Maskayev was the champion of theSoviet Army and later the national cup winner. First he representedSoviet Union and subsequentlyUzbekistan. Representing Uzbekistan he won a gold medal at the1994 Asian Games.

XSummer Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR, boxing (+91 kg),Minsk,Belarus SSR, July 1991:

• 1/2: DefeatedVitali Klitschko (Ukrainian SSR) RSC 2
• Finals: Lost toNikolay Kulpin (Kazakh SSR)

VIII Military Spartakiad of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (+91 kg),Kiskunfelegyhaza,Hungary, October 1990:

• Finals: Defeated János Sulyok (Hungary) walkover

USA−USSR Middle & Heavy Duals (+91 kg),Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, December 1991:

• DefeatedSamson Poʻuha (United States) RSC 2

World Championships (+91 kg),Tampere, Finland May 1993:

• 1/16: Defeated Zourab Sarsania (Georgia) DQ 3
• 1/8: Defeated Oleksandr Litvin (Ukraine) RSC 2
• 1/4: Lost toRoberto Balado (Cuba) KO 3

World Cup (+91 kg),Bangkok, Thailand, June 1994:

• 1/8: Defeated Raj Kumar Sangwan (India) 11–3 (4 rds)
• 1/4: Defeated Arshak Avartakyan (Armenia) 12–6 (4 rds)
• 1/2: DefeatedWilli Fischer (Germany) RSC 1
• Finals: Lost toRoberto Balado (Cuba) walkover

Asian Games (+91 kg),Hiroshima, Japan, October 1994:

• 1/2: Defeated Raj Kumar Sangwan (India) RSC 2
• Finals: DefeatedMohamed Reza Kalkh Samadi (Iran) RSC 2

Maskayev resumed the amateur career within a month after his reported professional debut in April 1993, to participate in the 1993 World Championships, '94 World Cup, and '94 Asian Games, with the last ones ended with a gold medal for him.

Maskayev finished his amateur career having 118 fights under his belt, with a stated record of 108–10. Controversy later arose as to his record, before he fought Oliver McCall,USBA stated his professional record 15–0 (12 KOs,) which was confirmedex officio by the Virginia Boxing Commission (which sanctioned the Maskayev–McCall event and all subsequent official information related to it, including the records,) while later and supposedly more precise estimates gave 6–0 (3 KOs.) Nine missing bouts in given record were either unaccounted for (and therefore non-sanctioned events,) or considered as amateur, or exhibition fights. No data available presently for that missing part of Maskayev's early professional career.

Maskaev's professional boxing career began in 1993. Not wasting any time, he made his professional debut against 21–0 (15) former bronze medalistAlexander Miroshnichenko. Maskaev won via third-round TKO. In only his seventh professional bout, Maskaev was faced off againstOliver McCall, who had captured a world heavyweight title by knocking outLennox Lewis only a year before. Maskaev was caught with a hard left hand to the body, followed up with a short right hand in the first round, losing via TKO and being handed his first professional defeat. After winning his next four, Maskaev fought hard-hittingSamoanDavid Tua. Maskayev lost via 11th-round TKO.

Oleg is known for his powerful right-hand punch: he has knocked out formerWBO heavyweight challengerDerrick Jefferson, contenderAlex Stewart, and twice knocked out formerWBC heavyweight championHasim Rahman. However, he is also noted for a weakchin that was evident in his knockout losses to contendersOliver McCall,David Tua,Kirk Johnson,Lance Whitaker,Corey Sanders and journeymanNagy Aguilera.

His most famous victories have been his two wins overHasim 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 inThe Ring magazine in 2006.

Maskaev won his first title defense against Peter Okhello on December 10, 2006 by unanimous decision.

Maskaev fought againstSamuel 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 byTKO with 3 seconds remaining in the sixth round.

In late 2008 he beat opponent Robert Hawkins by UD after 10 rounds and then defeated the unheralded Rich Boruff on March 14, 2009 via first-round KO, giving him mandatory contender status to the WBC Heavyweight Championship. He foughtNagy Aguilera on December 11 inSacramento, California at theMemorial Auditorium in a tune up fight, but was knocked out in the first round. Getting stunned with an 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, however he returned to the ring 3 years after the loss, to knock outOwen Beck. In 2013, he decisioned Jason Gavern in a 10-round fight.

Maskayev was born inTaraz,Kazakhstan (then part of theUSSR) toMordvin-Ukrainian parents and was raised inUzbekistan. He has lived in theU.S. since 1999 with his wife, Svetlana, and four daughters. He acquired UScitizenship in 2004. He currently resides inWest Sacramento,California, after previously living inStaten Island, New York. Before his second 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."^[2]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."^[3]Russian presidentVladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship on December 9, 2006.^[4]

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