Oleg Maskaev's career with an emphasis on his 1st 6 fights

I use to see him (getting) dissed on these forum websites as having a glass jaw and not being "very good" .

Maskaev "defeated" (stopped?) Vitali Klitschko in 1991 when both were amateurs.
Quoting boxrec: "Maskaev defeated Vitali Klitschko at the 1991 CSCA (Centrum Sports Club Army) Military Championships. "

his debut in 1993 was against Alexander Miroshnichenko , 21:0 at the time and 29 years old , A Bronze Medalist at SuperHeavyWeight (201lbs+) from Seoul (1998 ) , whom dropped Bowe twice in his "loss" to Bowe , which is why he only got the Bronze in Seoul.

Maskaev's 4th fight was against the same as himself 3:0 Robert Hawkins, a man whom later went the distance with Gary Bell (6 rds) , stopped Gary Bell in 10 , went 10 against 2005 Sam Peters and went 10 against David Tua and went 8 vs each one of Bermane Stiverne and Denis Boystov.
In other words Hawkins was a durable fighter but Maskaev still KOd him.

His 5th fight was against the 23:1:1 (19 of which came inside the distance) , 6'6" and 275lbs (but 37 years old) Joe Thomas whom in addition to his size and record, was the
1981 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion .

Maskaev outpointed him over 6.


Next, in his 6th fight, Maskaev took on the (almost) 27 years old Nicolay Kulpin (14(12):4(0) at the time, which were really 15(12):3(0) if not even better), Kulpin also "Represented Soviet Union (Community of Independent States) at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, boxing as a Super Heavyweight (+91 kg): " (according to boxrec of course)

Kulpin went 10 rounds against 1 Corrie Sanders.
I guess Kulpin did not lose in his other "loss" in Brazil as well, making his record 16(12):2(0) (at least) by the time he fought Maskaev.
I wonder / have my doubts about Kulpin's "losses" to Johnny Nelson and Corrie Sanders which were in Thailand and RSA respectively.

In Maskaev's 7th fight he took on former world champion (WBC) Oliver McCall and it is for everyone in youtube to see what happened then.

Another boxrec factoid (regarding Maskaev's fight against McCall) (is) :
"Maskaev was stripped March '96 of the PABA title for fighting Oliver McCall in a non-title fight "

So past his 1st 7 fights it is obvious what a Ray Leonard / Roy Jones Junior immitation Maskaev was trying to do.

2 fights, and just short of 6 months after his fight against McCall,
Maskaev took on the 26 years old Fernely Feliz, a man whom at 38 years of age lasted 10 against Denis Boystov in Germany, at 37 lasted 12 against Taras Bidenko in Germany, at 36 lasted 12 against Alexander Dimitrenko in Germany.
Maskaev outpointed him over 8 in the MSG Theatre in NY.

Later, in his 12th fight, the 10:1 and 28 years old Maskaev took on the 26:0 , Barcelona (1992) bronze medalist and 25 years old David Tua.

It is again on youtube to see.
In his following fight he stopped Alex Stewart in 7 and in his following next 2 fights after Stewart he stopped the big punching Courage Tshabalala.
in 1999 Maskaev stopped Jeff Wooden in less than 3 completed rounds, a man whom lost a majority decision over 10 to David Tua, and a split decision over 10 to Michael Grant (and in particular lasted the scheduled 10 against each and was quite competitive)

Later in 1999, Maskaev KOd Hasim Rahman in 8
In 2000 he stopped the 6'6" Derrick Jefferson inside 4.
According to boxrec, Jefferson was the "1994 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion "
Following this fight came his fights against Kirk Johnson and then Lance Whitaker. Both were underrated punchers with Whitaker being another former US amateur representative (and also 3 years younger and 5 inches taller than Maskaev) and Kirk Johnson a former Canadian amateur representative also 3 years younger than Maskaev.

In 2002 at age 33, Maskaev took on the 6'6" , 312lbs and 7 years younger than himself Corey Sanders.

In 2004 Maskaev defeated yet another former amateur star in David Defiagbon (21:0 at the time). This time "only" 1 year Maskaev's junior, and a mere 2 inches taller.

In 2005 Maskaev outpointed Sinan Samil Sam in Germany, and in 2006 Maskaev stopped Hasim Rahman yet again, this time for the WBC world title.
Maskaev was 37 years old by then, and Rahman's 3 years youth advantage was significant this time, but still not enough.

In 2008, aged 39, Maskaev was stopped on his feet by the 28 years old Sam Peters.

Did I already mention how his career paralleled the likes of Roy Jones Junior and Ray Leonard?

For Maskaev to compare to Ray Leonard, he'd have had to get stopped by a blown up John David Jackson at heavyweight, I guess, and to get beat by someone like a smaller, yet slightly quicker version of David Price or maybe Tye Fields.

For Maskaev to compare to Roy Jones Junior, he'd have had to fight the late 1990's to mid 2000's versions of Mike Weaver, James Tillis, Scott LeDoux and Trevor Berbick, rather than the guys he actually fought.

Another factoid that should be highlighted is that against every single one of their mutual opponents, Maskaev did better than Tua: Rahman*2 (for both), Jeff Wooden and Robert Hawkins (*2 in Maskaev's case). That (is) despite Maskaev being 3 years older than Tua.

 

I thought that I explained it good enough that Maskaev was not a raw novice by the time when he reached his 7th fight, let alone his 12th which was against Tua.
And he could have been stopped even at an earlier stage of the fight even if he fought Tua a few years later.
It was in no way lack of experience which failed him vs Tua, it was Tua.
Maskaev knew how to survive vs Tua even from the mere fresh experience
of the rounds which he actually completed against him.
Also, when 1 thinks what got him there, it was that quality experience which he did have already prior to their fight.

Caused by what? Vitali cracked his hand by failing to crack Maskaev's chin?

 

Pretty much what I thought/suspected.
He was definitely not the last (...Chagaev...) and probably not the 1st to do so.
People should understand that McCall's and Tua's wins against Maskaev were high quality wins against a high quality fighter, but they will probably stick to their ignorance.

 

Is it "old school" to raise a fighter on a steady menu of nobodies and bums? b/c I showed u that with Maskaev that was not the case.

 

According to his actual available record he already outpointed Nicolay Kulpin (whom I mentioned already in my OP) over 12 before he even fought McCall and it was not his fault that the 10:0 Ralph West could not last the scheduled 10 against him.
And then it is probably just his partial record that is available on boxrec.
Not long ago he was 5:0 prior to fighting McCall. Now it improved to 6:0.
I suppose that we will never know the answer to your question here.

And then how many times did David see 10 rds by then?
2 times
Is that not a raw novice?

 

There was no trick in my post.
U somehow failed to comprehend it.
I suggest u read it again and keep in mind that McCall fought him BEFORE Tua did.

 

U asked about 10 rders so I left d 2 8rders aut.
He had a 12 rder against a good opponent in Nicolay Kulpin & it woz not hiz folt det d 10:0 Ralph West cud not last d scheduled distanc.

Tua saw d 10 rd distanc twaic himself prior 2 their fight.
Had Tua been fully developed he would have won that fight mor conclusively dan hi did.

Only thing Maskaev almost pulled off vs Tua was lasting d distanc nothing mor.