Boxing

For Oleg Maskaev to be in contention for a heavyweight world title is incredible considering the obstacles he has overcome both in and out of the ring.

There was his near-death experience as a 16-year-old coal miner in his native Zhambul, Kazakhstan, and the fact that only his budding, amateur boxing career saved the former Soviet leutenant from being sent into the war in Afganistan.

Knocked out in all of his six losses, Maskaev overcame a suspect chin to earn his biggest career wins -- two knockouts of former world champ, Hasim Rahman, with the second earning him a brief stint as WBC champion.

Maskaev says that he suffered a broken right elbow during the rematch with Rahman, an injury he endured during a subsequent win over Peter Okhello, as well as in a loss to Samuel Peter.

But now, Maskaev (36-6, 27 knockouts), who turns 41 in March, finds himself, yet again, on the verge of title contention.

For with a Dec. 11 victory over Dominican-born, Nagy Aguilera (14-2, nine KOs), Maskaev would earn a matchup with 39-year-old Ray Austin (28-4-4, 18 KOs). The winner of Maskaev-Austin positions himself for a shot at WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs), whom Maskaev knocked out in the first round as an amateur.

FanHouse caught up recently with Maskaev, who has dual citizenship in America and the United States.

A fourth bout between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez "is 70 percent done," according to an e-mail received by FanHouse early Sunday morning from Gary Shaw, the promoter of Marquez.

The 34-year-old Marquez (38-5) ended a 14-month layoff in May when he scored a third-round knockout -- the 34th of his career -- over 37-year-old Jose Francisco Mendoza.

Last month, the 31-year-old Vazquez overcame a 19-month layoff for a ninth-round knockout over Colombia's Angel Antonio Priolo, whom he floored three times.

Vazquez, who rose to 44-4 with his 32nd career knockout, dropped Priolo to 30-8 with 20 knockouts.

Both Marquez and Vazquez fought their last bouts at the 126-pound featherweight limit -- this after having previously clashed at super bantamweight (122 pounds).

Most believed that Andre Ward faced a disadvantage in overall experience against Denmark's WBA champion, Mikkel Kessler, on Saturday night.

Not only did Kessler enter their matchup with more than twice as many victories as Ward, but he also had almost three times as many knockouts, and had held the super middleweight (168 pounds) crown for nearly five years -- longer than Ward has been a professional.

But youth trumped experience as did ring generalship in their clash at Oracle Arena, where Ward dethroned Kessler with an 11th-round technical decision before an enthusiastic, partisan crowd of 10, 277 in the 2004 American Olympic gold medalist's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

FanHouse has a Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward live blog for round-by-round updates for one of the Showtime Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic bouts.

The 168-pound main event will start a little after 10PM ET. The live blog begins below.

Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts) vs. Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) live blog: Refresh this page often for minute-by-minute updates.

KIEL, Germany (AP) -- Zsolt Erdei of Hungary won the WBC cruiserweight title with a majority decision over Giacobbe Fragomeni on Saturday night.

Erdei vacated the WBO light-heavyweight title to fight at cruiserweight for the first time, and managed to do just enough against the 40-year-old Italian. Two judges had it 115-113 for Erdei, while the third scored it 114-114.

Erdei (31-0) controlled the first three rounds with his speed, landing several powerful rights to Fragomeni's head. The tide turned in the middle rounds when Fragomeni (26-2-1) stepped up the pace, and he began to wear down his younger opponent.

Oleg Maskaev had won two of five fights and been stopped three times when promoter, Dennis Rappaport, met him in 2002 -- not long after the 33-year-old Russian-American had suffered an eighth-round knockout loss to journeyman, Corey Sanders.

Since then, however, Maskaev is 14-1 with 10 knockouts -- a run that began with six straight KOs. The first stoppage was a one-rounder against Erroll Sadikovski in February of 2003.

"Oleg, in the ring, is now doing something that he's never done before -- and that's being relaxed," Rappaport said of Maskaev, who is coming off of a first-round knockout of Rich Boruff in March -- his second straight win since being dethroned as WBC champ a year earlier by Samuel Peter in six rounds.

"A relaxed fighter is the most dangerous fighter in the world. Oleg's boxing beautifully, he's devastating to the body," said Rappaport. "Even at his age, he's learning new things, and, more importantly, he's got the desire to continue learning."

ESPN carried the live broadcast of Friday's weigh-in featuring WBA super middleweight champion, Mikkel Kessler, and, challenger, Andre Ward.

And the competitors' bodies did not disappoint.

Both looked as if they were cut from diamond as the qualified for the 168-pound limit -- Kessler at a chisled, 167, and, Ward, at a ripped, 166.5.

Each struck a body-builders' double-biceps pose, and there was some talking between them, as they stood, face-to-face, for photos.

From the early indications, Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts) vs. Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) will be an appealing display of speed, athleticism and boxing skills waged before an enthusiastic crowd at the Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Boxing star Manny Pacquiao is on top of the world. His following is reaching new heights. Watch how it takes a dozen cops to get the Pacman from his car to the airport terminal as Manny heads back to the Philippines. We also join the media crush that tries to get Manny to talk about potentially facing Floyd Mayweather.

Check out the video after the jump.

Denmark's WBA champion, Mikkel Kessler, is considered boxing's premier 168-pounder -- and for good reason.

And it is among those same reasons why the 30-year-old "Viking Warrior" is favored to take down 25-year-old former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward in defense of his title on Saturday night at Oracle Arena.

"Mikkel Kessler's just been in with a higher quality of opponent. And Kessler's been involved with more big fights, fighting, more or less, for 12 rounds since Andre Ward has been a professional boxer," said Doug Fischer, co-editor of RingTV.com. "And now he's fighting in Andre Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif., which is going to be nothing new to him."

Manny Pacquiao's historic, 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto, whom he dethroned as WBO welterweight champ for a record, seventh title in as many weight classes on Saturday night, has generated 1.25 million buys, according to official records released to FanHouse by Mark Taffet, HBO's senior vice president of pay per view.

Along with Floyd Mayweather's Sept. 19, unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, which resulted in 1.05 million buys, this year represents the first time HBO pay per view has ever recorded back-to-back fights exceeding a million buys, Taffet indicated in Friday's e-mail.

Pacquiao-Cotto also marks the first time since 1999 that two, pay per view boxing events have totaled more than a million purchases, joining Felix Trinidad's controversial decision over Oscar De La Hoya, and, Lennox Lewis' disputed draw with Evander Holyfield.