Oleg Maskaev v Wilder..

I love Big O and yeah, if he got chance to detonate anything on Wilder's chin the Bomb Squad would get not just KTFO but absolutely blown to smithereens - but reach matters, as does speed. Maskaev would never get the chance; he's eating a big right hand on the way in and, frankly, his chin is the worse in this match-up. He couldn't stand up to a single full-power (or even 75%) RH blast from the rangy American windmill factory, I fear.

 

Wasn’t it Maskaev that put Rahman through the ropes and onto the floor ?

 

Battle of the glass cannons. Big O came up both times in their rivalry - more glass, but also heavier-duty cannon.

 

You know what I actually really liked Maskaev.

He had a technically brilliant jab and he had very real power. But also he fought at a ridiculously high level his entire career.

You will struggle to name many HW fighters who fought at a level Maskaev did so early in his career.

Going into 2000 he was a well regarded and a genuine ranked contender.

The losses in the early 2000s devastated his reputation. Kirk Johnson was a good fight between two high ranked contenders and he obviously fell way short then. But Whitaker and Sanders completely exposed any ideas people might have about Maskaev having any kind of chin.

Suddenly by this point he's been koed 5 times, the early loss to McCall is now an early warning sign he's packing glass and every loss from then on is further proof.

He quickly went from a high ranked HW who had won some and lost some into a name opponent who was bound to get knocked out.

By the rematch with Rahman, his form is deceptive because he wasn't on good form, he was a cherry pick for Rahman to avenge an early loss and make himself out to be the next top HW, but Maskaev showed history can repeat itself and won in almost identical fashion.

But anyways yeah I always liked Maskaev.

That being said Wilder destroys him. I can't see him getting out of round 1. Wilder is too quick and too explosive.

 

Often forgotten he posted a victory over Vitali by TKO in the amateurs (but they have wildly differing accounts of the particulars, with no vid that I know of to corroborate one man's story or the other)

 

Wilder to fast form him, I would say Wilder knocks him out...

 

Hmm.. it took Tua 10 rounds. I think Maskaev lasts longer then 3.

 

Maskaev was defo chinny but also hit very hard when prime.