By James Blears
Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev is once again on the comeback trail, and wants a third clash with Hasim Rahman.
Maskaev (36-7, 27 KO’s) who shares the nickname “The Big O” with Roy Orbison, is tuning up in the gym in his adopted home town of Sacramento, and is in fight shape. He’s twice KO’d Rahman, including when he won the WBC title on August 12, 2006.
His Manager Fred Kesch said: “I read that the winner of the [Alexander] Povetkin-[Marco] Huck fight will take on Rahman. But why not Oleg, who’s stopped Hasim twice, almost putting him through the ropes both times.”
A former miner, Oleg who was Soviet Army champion and Ko’d Vitali Klitschko in the first round, when they fought as amateurs, has plenty of experience of digging deep. En route to the heavyweight title, he won Ring Magazine’s Comeback Fighter of the Year in 2006.
Fred Kesh said: “Oleg is in the gym, he's trim and in the mindset to win.”
Maskaev, 42-years-old, has been inactive since a December 2009 first round TKO loss to Nagy Aguilera.