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.
FanHouse: So, you're still at it, trying to win a title?
Oleg Maskaev: You know what happened? I had a couple of injuries when I lost the title. I wasn't at full health or strength when I was trying to defend it against Samuel Peter.
That's why I wasn't able to successfully defend it -- because of the injuries. And now, I'm healthy, and I feel strong. I want to win it back. I feel that the belt belongs to me. That's my goal. That's what I'm going for.
FH: What answer do you have for people who might say that you're a little too old?
Maskaev: I would say that it's not about age, but it's about training. It's about how hard you want to train, and how disciplined you are in training. If you stay in shape, you have a good schedule, and you don't do stupid things, then it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter if you're 40, 41 or, 44 -- like Bernard Hopkins is 44. That's a guy who has served as a good example for me.
FH: How big were the wins over Hasim Rahman at the points in your career when they were accomplished?
Maskaev: I was very happy when I beat Rahman the first time. Rahman was sure that he was going to stop me and knock me out the first time. And that didn't happen.Even the second time, which was harder than the first time. After that fight, he wasn't the same -- believe me. I believe that I destroyed him. Totally. And everybody has looked at him, and he hasn't had the same stamina or shown the same heart after that.
Because of his training, because of his weight, because of his mental problems -- who knows.
FH: Given your knockout losses, can you blame people for doubting you and counting you out so much?
Maskaev: What I think about people, and what I'm not happy about is that they don't know Oleg. They don't know who is Oleg.
I have to be strong and healthy, mentally strong, with good preparation, no physical problems, and I can do a lot of things. I've proven that before, and I'm going to prove that again.
FH: What do you know about your next opponent, Nagy Aguilera?
Maskaev: I know enough. He has a good background. A solid amateur background. He likes to bring good pressure. He's going to give me a good fight, which is what I'm looking for. And I'm going to be ready for a good, tough fight, and I'm going to whip this guy.
FH: What are you looking forward to after Nagy Aguilera?
Maskaev: I've got to win this fight to get a shot at Ray Austin. That's the title eliminator for another championship fight. The main goal is to fight Vitali Klitschko. He's running away from me, but I know why, and he's given me some problems.
He's been like, 'I don't want to fight you this time.' I've been looking for the fight against this guy for six years, and hopefully, one way or the other, it will happen.
FH: Didn't you fight one of the Klitschkos as an amateur?
Maskaev: Yeah, Vitali. I fought Vitali in the amateurs and I stopped him in the first round, and he doesn't want to admit that. He'll say, 'Oh, hey, I hurt my hand, and I couldn't continue.'
But I remember that I hurt him three times, and when his trainer saw that Vitali couldn't handle it, and didn't have a chance to beat me, he stopped the fight.
FH: Do you believe that a meeting like that, years later, will help you, mentally, and, hurt Vitali, mentally?
Maskaev: I think, yes.
FH: Do you believe that you will eventually get that title shot?
Maskaev: It's boxing, so it's hard to predict what's going to happen. But I'm willing to fight him. I'm strong, confident and ready.
FH: Do you think that there is anything to the fact that five of your six knockout loses came during the first half of the year -- one in February, one in April and three in March around your birthday?
Maskaev: Yeah, who knows? Only God knows why. March, March, March. Somebody mentioned that same thing to me, but I don't believe in that. I don't believe in that, I believe in God, that's all.
FH: Why do you believe that you are more deserving of a title shot than some others?
Maskaev: Because I was a champion once, and, after that second victory over Rahman, I got the bad news that I had broken my elbow.
FH: So which elbow did this happen to?
Maskaev: It happened to the right elbow, and I broke it against Rahman the second time. And then, I was supposed to get a surgery operation, but then, I received an offer to fight Peter Okhello in Moscow.
So I said, 'No, I'm going to wait, I'm going to fight.' Because I thought that I would lose the chance to defend my title for the first time, and I wanted the chance to defend the WBC title in Moscow.
So then, I beat Okhello in Moscow, and I fought against him with a broken elbow. I was able to beat this guy the whole 12 rounds. I knocked him down once with an uppercut because I couldn't straighten out my right hand -- it was so bad.
And after that fight, I came home, and I went to a hospital in Manhattan, New York. And I had a surgery operation. The doctor said that rehabilitation would take about three years.
And then, I was supposed to fight Samuel Peter. I wasn't ready for that. I pulled out once. But then, I had some back injuries, and they ordered me to fight or I would lose the belt, and that's about it.
FH: So that's how you went into the fight with Samuel Peter, when you were knocked out in the sixth round?
Maskaev: Oleg, for that fight with Samuel Peter, wasn't the same Oleg.
FH: So over the course of the Rahman fight in August, 2006, the Peter Okhello fight in December of 2006, and the Samuel Peter fight in March of 2008, has your general health improved?
Maskaev: The right elbow is totally healed. And it's like it used to be. I can punch. I've shown that against my sparring partners. It's back. Mentally, I'm strong, and I want to do it. I've missed it. I'm going to bring it back.
FH: Were you feeling 100 percent for the 10-round decision over Robert Hawkins in December of 2008?
Maskaev: That was a good fight. Robert was a very smart guy, a slick guy. But I beat him all of the way. I wasn't 100 percent, but I'd say, 65-, 70-percent. That was a year or so after the surgery.FH: How were you feeling for your last fight -- the first-round knockout of Rich Boruff -- when you weighed a career-high 252 pounds?
Maskaev: I felt great. Finally, my elbow was good. I was able to work out in a fitness club, lift weights, do a lot of pullups and pushups. I felt strong. I didn't leave the guy a chance.
FH: What do you need to do againts Nagy Aguilera to feel good about your performance?
Maskaev: What I need to do in this fight is to just get into the ring, relax, and do my job. Nice and relaxed. I don't need to overdo anything, I just need to push myself and not try to create something unbelievable.
I have everything. I just need to relax and do my job. The first time I get to hurt this guy, though, I'm going to do it. I want to see how well I can perform, and this fight is going to show exactly who Oleg is.
FH: Wasn't your present trainer, Chuck McGregor, in Rahman's corner when Rahman fought you the first time?
Maskaev: Yes, Yes. We talk about that, yeah. This, coming up, against Nagy Aguilera, is going to be the first fight working with Chuck. It's been a couple of months we've been together.
We just talked about the Rahman fight. He said, 'Oleg, do you remember that I was in the corner against you?' I said, 'Yes, I remember.' That was a great fight. We were killing each other. And he said the same thing.
FH: How do you want your career to come to a close?
Maskaev: I think differently. Boxing is my health. It's what I do. If I stop boxing, I'm going to gain weight and lose my health. Some people think boxing is dangerous for health. I don't think the same way.
I'm trying to work on my fitness, which is a lot of work. I expend energy and burn calories -- that's the way I am, that's who I am, that's my life, that's my character. Oleg wants to fight.
I have a trainer, a manager and a promoter. If they say to me, 'Oleg, you're old, and you're going to get beat up every time,' then, of course, I have to stop. I can do nothing.
But when you start thinking about your limitations, then exactly what you're thinking is going to happen. You're going to be afraid, and this and that. But there's no reason for me to think like that right now.
Why? I can run like I used to run. I spar with the guys. I can punch, I can fight, I can box the same way. I'm trying to learn, and I have a great trainer, Chuck McGregor, who is teaching me right now. I'm willing to learn, and that's great.
