Oleg Maskaev is a Kazakhstan-born American former professional boxer who held the WBC heavyweight championship from August 2006 to March 2008. He defeated Hasim Rahman twice, including a 12th-round stoppage that won the title, and finished his professional career in 2013 with a 39–7 record.
Background
Ethnicity:
He was born in Kazakhstan to Mordvin parents whose family roots were in Russia.
Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev was born on March 2, 1969, in Abay, in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, now Kazakhstan. His parents were Mordvin, and family accounts place his ancestral roots in Russia's Mordovia region. He later became associated with both Russian and American public identities.
Maskaev moved to the United States in 1999 and became a United States citizen in 2004. Russian President Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship on December 9, 2006, during Maskaev's reign as WBC heavyweight champion. He has been based in the Sacramento area, including West Sacramento, California.
Career
Maskaev developed as an amateur boxer in the Soviet and post-Soviet sporting systems, representing Uzbekistan in the super-heavyweight division. His amateur achievements included service-related and national-level victories, a silver medal at the 1994 World Cup in Bangkok, and a gold medal at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima. He also defeated Vitali Klitschko at the 1991 CSKA military championships.
He began his professional boxing career in 1993. Competing as a heavyweight, Maskaev became known for a powerful right hand and scored notable victories over Alex Stewart, Derrick Jefferson, and Hasim Rahman. His first victory over Rahman came on November 6, 1999, when an eighth-round knockout sent Rahman through the ropes in Atlantic City; the bout also became associated with a disturbance involving a chair thrown by a spectator.
On August 12, 2006, Maskaev stopped defending champion Hasim Rahman in the 12th round at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to win the WBC heavyweight title. He retained the championship by defeating Peter Okhello by unanimous decision on December 10, 2006, in Moscow. His title reign ended on March 8, 2008, when Samuel Peter stopped him in the sixth round in Cancún, Mexico.
Maskaev returned to competition after a first-round knockout loss to Nagy Aguilera in December 2009. He defeated Owen Beck by third-round technical knockout in December 2012 and won decisions over Jason Gavern and Danny Williams in 2013. He retired with a professional record of 39 wins and 7 losses, including 28 victories by knockout.
Achievements
Won the WBC heavyweight championship on August 12, 2006, by stopping defending champion Hasim Rahman in the 12th round in Las Vegas.
Defeated former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman twice, first by eighth-round knockout on November 6, 1999, and again by 12th-round technical knockout on August 12, 2006.
Won the super-heavyweight gold medal for Uzbekistan at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima and a silver medal at the 1994 World Cup in Bangkok.
Completed a professional boxing career with 39 wins and 7 losses, including 28 victories by knockout.
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
He is approximately 191 centimeters tall, with a reach of approximately 201 centimeters. His professional boxing stance was orthodox.
Interests
He has spoken about family life, Russian cultural traditions, fishing, mushroom gathering, and supporting his daughters' education and figure skating.
Sport & Clubs
Boxing
Connections
Maskaev is married to Svetlana Maskaev. They have four daughters: Anna, Alexandra, Olesya, and Victoria. The family has lived in the United States, where the children attended American schools while the household retained Russian-language and Russian cultural traditions.
BoxRec: Oleg Maskaev
Provides biographical information, amateur and professional career details, citizenship history, family information, title reign, and professional record.
The Ring Record: Oleg Maskaev
Summarizes Maskaev's professional career from 1993 to 2013, his 39–7 record, orthodox stance, heavyweight division, and WBC title reign.
The Ring named Maskaev its Comeback of the Year for 2006 after his return to the top level, culminating in his victory over Hasim Rahman for the WBC heavyweight championship.
The Ring named Maskaev its Comeback of the Year for 2006 after his return to the top level, culminating in his victory over Hasim Rahman for the WBC heavyweight championship.
