Maskaev will win...

[Derranged]

Actually, that's not really the reason. I know that's what Rock and his team will tell you, that Rock only lost because he underestimated Maskaev, but if you watch the fight, you'll see Rock knew what he was in with in the very first round, if you watch the power punches fly, and looked to be in very good shape, with a crisp jab.

What happened is that Maskaev just matched up very well with Rock. They fought almost identically, both jabbing and trying to land hard power shots, from the opening bell. Rock was getting the better of it, but not by much, then Maskaev caught up to him in the 8th and hurt him, Rock couldn't recover and keep Maskaev off, and got KTFO.

But this notion that Rock only lost because he just underestimated Maskaev, is a poor excuse that's repeated way too often by people listening to Rock and his team make excuses. Just like the much-repeated misconception that Rock was totally dominating the fight and got careless and got caught with one lucky punch that KO'd him.

That said, Maskaev will not win the fight. This is the battle of underacheivers, but Rock's younger and better, at this stage. And will have an extra bit of determination that you don't see when he's fighting American HW's with a silent agreement. Watch him fight Al Cole, then watch him fight Kali Meehan. That's going to be roughly the difference in watching him fight Barrett/Toney and watching him fight a 37 yr old Maskaev who he knows can be pushed back with the jab and KO'd with a big right.

Rock TKO 5.

I agree.

[Njord777]

Imagine this:

You wake up Sunday morning, August 13th and something about the world is different. The sun shines less brightly, sweet food is a little less so, and some intangible quality, something you can't put your finger on, has changed. When you turn on the television, your hair a mess and sleep still in your eyes, the news you hear shocks you:

"American has no heavyweight champion. Every belt is held by a European."

You realize Hasim Rahman has lost. You don't know how it happened, or why, you missed the fight- but Oleg Maskaev holds the WBC Heavyweight title. The land of the free, home of the brave, statue of libery, red, white and blue America has no champion to carry the hopes of its people.

Good. I'm glad. If I was there I would say to you, "About time." Why? Because everyone is breathing easier because America has at least one heavyweight title holder. Hasim Rahman is 'America's last line of defense'. Bull****.

We need a fire lit under our asses. The American boxing scence is complacent. Is it really that hard for us to produce one, just one, good, solid heavyweight to mix up the division?

I've already said this but I could care less what country a fighter is from. I respect what I see in that ring. Every race, religion, and ethnicity are equal in that ring, if unfortunatley not everywhere in modern society. So, why should I care if an exciting fighter comes from Russia, France, Africa or China? As long as they are exciting to watch, and good.

Yet with one American heavyweight left this country is producing nothing....if there were no American fighters left, no American holding a heavyweight belt, I know there are some nationalistic *******s out there who will rush into finding us the next big thing. The next champ. Rahman is not the next big thing....and until he's out of the picture I see people continuing to see the American heavyweight prospects as 'decent'. If Rahman falls people have to realize we need to look towards the young up-and-comers for something special.

I hope Oleg takes America's last belt. Who says the USA needs to be everywhere, always? May the best man win...and may that man be named Maskaev.

[mECHsLAVE]

Imagine this:

You wake up Sunday morning, August 13th and something about the world is different. The sun shines less brightly, sweet food is a little less so, and some intangible quality, something you can't put your finger on, has changed. When you turn on the television, your hair a mess and sleep still in your eyes, the news you hear shocks you:

"American has no heavyweight champion. Every belt is held by a European."

You realize Hasim Rahman has lost. You don't know how it happened, or why, you missed the fight- but Oleg Maskaev holds the WBC Heavyweight title. The land of the free, home of the brave, statue of libery, red, white and blue America has no champion to carry the hopes of its people.

Good. I'm glad. If I was there I would say to you, "About time." Why? Because everyone is breathing easier because America has at least one heavyweight title holder. Hasim Rahman is 'America's last line of defense'. Bull****.

We need a fire lit under our asses. The American boxing scence is complacent. Is it really that hard for us to produce one, just one, good, solid heavyweight to mix up the division?

I've already said this but I could care less what country a fighter is from. I respect what I see in that ring. Every race, religion, and ethnicity are equal in that ring, if unfortunatley not everywhere in modern society. So, why should I care if an exciting fighter comes from Russia, France, Africa or China? As long as they are exciting to watch, and good.

Yet with one American heavyweight left this country is producing nothing....if there were no American fighters left, no American holding a heavyweight belt, I know there are some nationalistic *******s out there who will rush into finding us the next big thing. The next champ. Rahman is not the next big thing....and until he's out of the picture I see people continuing to see the American heavyweight prospects as 'decent'. If Rahman falls people have to realize we need to look towards the young up-and-comers for something special.

I hope Oleg takes America's last belt. Who says the USA needs to be everywhere, always? May the best man win...and may that man be named Maskaev.

Tight post. You're right on. If you look at the up and coming HW's, most of them are non-American, and most of the American HW's are the past, just still hanging around. So whether Oleg wins or not, the level of American boxing contention has probably not even hit bottom yet, esp the HW's.

[!!Captain]

Imagine this:

You wake up Sunday morning, August 13th and something about the world is different. The sun shines less brightly, sweet food is a little less so, and some intangible quality, something you can't put your finger on, has changed. When you turn on the television, your hair a mess and sleep still in your eyes, the news you hear shocks you:

"American has no heavyweight champion. Every belt is held by a European."

You realize Hasim Rahman has lost. You don't know how it happened, or why, you missed the fight- but Oleg Maskaev holds the WBC Heavyweight title. The land of the free, home of the brave, statue of libery, red, white and blue America has no champion to carry the hopes of its people.

Good. I'm glad. If I was there I would say to you, "About time." Why? Because everyone is breathing easier because America has at least one heavyweight title holder. Hasim Rahman is 'America's last line of defense'. Bull****.

We need a fire lit under our asses. The American boxing scence is complacent. Is it really that hard for us to produce one, just one, good, solid heavyweight to mix up the division?

I've already said this but I could care less what country a fighter is from. I respect what I see in that ring. Every race, religion, and ethnicity are equal in that ring, if unfortunatley not everywhere in modern society. So, why should I care if an exciting fighter comes from Russia, France, Africa or China? As long as they are exciting to watch, and good.

Yet with one American heavyweight left this country is producing nothing....if there were no American fighters left, no American holding a heavyweight belt, I know there are some nationalistic *******s out there who will rush into finding us the next big thing. The next champ. Rahman is not the next big thing....and until he's out of the picture I see people continuing to see the American heavyweight prospects as 'decent'. If Rahman falls people have to realize we need to look towards the young up-and-comers for something special.

I hope Oleg takes America's last belt. Who says the USA needs to be everywhere, always? May the best man win...and may that man be named Maskaev.

Nice post, but if you are not fan enough to watch the fight or read round by round, why would the results of the fight be the first thing you check in the morning?
Just messing, point well made.

[Leo Pradun]

Rahman might surprise us all and pull a Lamon Brewster. Im reffering to Lamons 1st round ko of Golota..

[Nautilus]

Rahman might surprise us all and pull a Lamon Brewster. Im reffering to Lamons 1st round ko of Golota..

LOL, I hope not ...

[cold]

Yes Oleg Maskaev will win.
Rahman could not even beat James Toney.

Maskaev is difficult to spot him a smile on his face. More importantly, he's an American. Maskaev resides with his wife, Svetlana, and their four daughters in Staten Island, where they've lived for more than seven years.

He has been an American citizen for two years. And to be painted as someone other than a full-blooded patriot pains Maskaev, who is 32-5-0 with 25 KOs.

"It bothers me because it's not a factor," Maskaev said. "Whoever wins will be an American.

"I'm a proud Russian-American. I'm a citizen of America, of the United States. I have four kids, the last of them, she's an American, too. She was born here. I had a great opportunity here to get a good education for my kids and a house and to make my wife happy. ... This is the American Dream."

[FeelTheA-Force]

Maskaev has a very decent boxing record: he beat Vitaliy in the amateurs by TKO2,

am i hearing this correctly??

was that quit on the stool or an actually TKO ? where he dropped vitali.

id love to see that!!!!!

[cold]

5,000,000 points on Maskaev Winning. Anybody ?

[BKM-]

5,000,000 points on Maskaev Winning. Anybody ?

I think Rahman will win
How about it.