Had some pretty callous management but decent skills and a thumping right hand. A bit chinny but dangerous. Where does he rank? Where does his power rank? Discuss. Appreciate!
Max Kellerman loved him. His peak was leading into the Johnson fight, but he quickly got derailed. He does deserve credit for rebounding and getting a belt. I pretty much have him on the bottom tier of 2000s titlists with Liakovich and Briggs.
Solid HW..... Could have been better, but he has a poor management team & chin problems as stated in the OP.
I had written him off after a few of those kos, so appreciated that he came back and won a belt, meaningless as it was. He could punch, move, and actually do everything quite well except take a good shot.
His chin seemed to write checks it couldn't cash. He would just stop moving his head for the chance to really whip in his right hand. Then, bam! Also, feeding him to a seasoned McCall in his 7th fight and then a seasoned Tua in his 12th was just sadistic.
Olegs career was kinda like mike weavers. He was thrown to the wolves early and emerged later as a seasoned and hardened heavyweight contender. He wasn't a great fighter but definitely a "very good" one..
I was ringside when McCall knocked him out. Honestly, he was a B or C level fighter at best. The fact that he beat Rahman twice says more about Rahman than it does about Oleg. Really just a small cut above the James Thunders and Samson Po'uhas of the world. (with less power, and a dodgy chin)
I think he says more about Oleg's management which sent a 6 fight neophyte in against a guy who had just held the WBC belt and had fought 6 belt holders.
He really was thrown to the wolves early. Have to give him credit for surviving that to become a respectable contender and winning a belt. Many a young fighter wouldn't have.
Maskev was an early Eastern Euro fighter pre Klitschko. For some reason Golota got all of the press. Oleg was good but not great fighter. He could punch, and had some skills. Durability was not a long suit. His management put him in there with big punchers and rushed him early. Best wins were Rhaman 2x, Sam, Jefferson, Miroshnichenko, Tshabalala, and Stewart. Maskaev nearly had David Tua beat, but ran out of gas in round 11. If he won that fight his career would have gone up a notch.