By Mark Vester
Feeling the pressure of the upcoming fight, WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (41-5-2, 33 KOs) is looking to make a big statement against Oleg Maskaev (32-5, 25 KOs), when the two rivals meet in Las Vegas on August 12. Initially, the campaign for the rematch began with the storyline of Rahman seeking revenge on Maskaev for a 1999 knockout loss. Not long after the bout was signed, Top Rank, the lead promoter of the HBO pay-per-view fight, focused on the storyline of Rahman being the only American heavyweight champion left standing, and Maskaev looking to beat him for the European sweep of the heavyweight titles.
''I need to hold it down for my country. If I lose this fight, I let me down, my family down, my team down and my country down," Rahman said. "Never before have I felt like I put my country on my back. I can't allow this to happen. I can't allow them to get a clean sweep.''
A unification fight with IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is in the works, Rahman wants to win in spectacular fashion against Maskaev to build up the hype towards a 2007 Klitschko bout. In their 1999 meeting, Maskaev sent Rahman flying through the ropes and landing hard on the arena floor when he stopped a younger Rahman in nine rounds. This time Rahman plans to send Maskaev flying through the ropes.
''I'm definitely going to make a big statement in this fight. This time Maskaev is going to land outside the ring,'' Rahman said.
The conflict already seen in the future would be the upcoming September bout between heavyweights Samuel Peter and James Toney. The winner of their contest has been promised a mandatory shot at the winner of Rahman-Maskaev. Should Rahman beat Maskaev and head towards a Klitschko bout, the Toney-Peter winner may petition for the WBC to strip Rahman.
