Rahman-Maskaev next: who wins this one?

**Leo Pradun** · 03-19-2006, 12:09 AM

i say maskaev by ko....

**keystone30pack** · 03-19-2006, 12:12 AM

i say my unconscious dreams when i fall asleep i dont no how many more of these hw fights i can take and i got drunk too

**Easy-E** · 03-19-2006, 12:12 AM

the way maskev has been fighting we see another BORING decision by rahman

**mECHsLAVE** · 03-19-2006, 12:18 AM

Originally posted by PBF34

the way maskev has been fighting we see another BORING decision by rahman

Judging by Rock's last 2 performances, I'd have to say Maskaev. Maskaev has good skills, and shoots shorter, crisper punches than Rock. Maskaev's weakness has always been his chin. If he had a great chin, he would have been champion. But the way Rock pittered his punches tonight, I'd have to favor Maskaev to beat him.

The real question is "Was Rock shortening his punches and taking the steam off of them to land them as a specific strategy for Toney?" Or has he just lost all of his pop and snap? If those push-punches is the best he can do, then he loses to Maskaev probably.

**Kid Achilles** · 03-19-2006, 12:32 AM

He was definitely throwing short arm punches to keep Toney off balance and to simply overload him with punches so he couldn't counter them all. That's what I saw tonight.

**Larry Merchant** · 03-19-2006, 12:34 AM

good eyes kid..I saw the same thing..but i think he should have went witha few more right hands

**FibreOptic** · 03-19-2006, 12:35 AM

Maskaev has the worst chin at heavyweight. If Rahman catches him, it will be all over for Oleg.

**Kid Achilles** · 03-19-2006, 12:43 AM

Agreed Larry. I think Rahman was concerned about his own stamina in that fight though. 238, even if most of it was muscle, is too high for the Rock. He needs to come in around 224-227. Those arm punches are a lot less taxing to throw than full powered shots driven by the legs. He's heavy handed enough to make them hurt too. Rahman's arm punches are almost as hard as Toney's best shots.

My problem was Rahman's insistance on taking the bait and attacking Toney when he was on the ropes. At one point he stepped back in such a situation and I applauded him mentally for doing so, but on many occassions he went inside with Toney and paid for it in uppercuts.

I think people from HBO approached both fighters and told them to make this an active fight (since they knew a lot of people would be watching with the free weekend promotional deal) and Rahman was trying to honor that. A bit of imaginative work on my part but it has a ring of truth to it.

**badblood** · 03-19-2006, 12:44 AM

This was the fight that was supposed to happen in the first place.

Rahman-Maskaev next: who wins this one?