Hasim Rahman vs. Oleg Maskaev II

{{Infobox boxing match

| Fight Name = America's Last Line of Defense

| image = 230px

| caption =

| fight date = 12 August 2006

| location = Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

| titles = WBC Heavyweight Championship

| fighter1 = {{flagicon|USA}} Hasim Rahman

| nickname1 = "The Rock"

| hometown1 = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| purse1 =

| record1 = 41–5–2 (33 KO)

| age1 = {{age in years and months |1972|11|7 |2006|8|12}}

| height1 = 6 ft 2 in

| weight1 = 235 lb

| style1 = Orthodox

| recognition1 = WBC
Heavyweight Champion
The Ring
No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight{{cite web |title=RATINGS: For Period Ended August 7, 2006 |url=http://thering-online.com/ringpages/ratings2.html |website=thering-online.com |publisher=The Ring |access-date=10 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060814014133/http://thering-online.com/ringpages/ratings2.html |archive-date=14 August 2006}}

| fighter2 = {{flagicon|USA}}/{{flagicon|RUS}} Oleg Maskaev

| nickname2 = "The Big O"

| hometown2 = Abay, Karaganda, Kazakhstan

| purse2 =

| record2 = 32–5 (25 KO)

| age2 = {{age in years and months |1968|8|24 |2006|8|12}}

| height2 = 6 ft 3 in

| weight2 = 238 lb

| style2 = Orthodox

| recognition2 = WBC
No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight

| result = Maskaev wins via 12th-round TKO

}}

Hasim Rahman vs. Oleg Maskaev II, billed as America's Last Line of Defense, was a professional boxing match contested on 12 August 2006, for the WBC heavyweight championship.{{cite web |title=Hasim Rahman vs. Oleg Maskaev (2nd meeting) |url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Hasim_Rahman_vs._Oleg_Maskaev_(2nd_meeting) |website=boxrec.com |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=5 February 2024}}

Background

Since the retirement of Vitali Klitschko elevated him to a two time Heavyweight Champion, Hasim Rahman had made one defence, a majority draw against James Toney. Despite calls for a rematch Rahman's promoter Bob Arum stated that Rahman would face his mandatory challenger Oleg Maskaev, who had beaten former European champion Sinan Şamil Sam in a WBC eliminator bout the previous November.{{cite web |author1=John Rawling |title=Rahman retains crown with draw |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/mar/20/boxing.gdnsport3 |website=The Guardian |access-date=29 January 2024 |date=20 March 2006}}

The two had faced each other in November 1999 where Maskaev stunned Rahman with an 8th-round KO where Rahman was sent out of the ring, landing next to HBO's Jim Lampley.

The bout was billed as "America's Last Line of Defense" in recognition of the fact that Rahman was the only US born heavyweight who currently held a version of the heavyweight title, this despite Maskaev being a naturalized US citizen. Although Arum had been pursuing a defense against Calvin Brock in November, it was hoped that a Rahman victory would set a New Year clash with IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko,{{cite web |author1=John Rawling |title=Rahman is last man standing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/aug/12/boxing.gdnsport3 |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 February 2024 |date=12 August 2006}} despite Klitschko adviser Shelly Finkel coming to terms with Shannon Briggs to fight Klitschko on 11 November, the deal had remained unsigned in the hope that Wladimir would face the winner of Rahman vs Maskaev.

The fight

Rahman controlled most of the early rounds, using his jab and combination punching to dictate the tempo of the fight. Maskaev was consistently warned by referee Jay Nady about excessive holding, which the ringside HBO commentators, which included Lennox Lewis, felt was unwarranted and one-sided.

Maskaev knocked down Rahman early in the final round, with a left right combination. Rahman made it up but soon he was holding on to the rope to stay on his feet. Maskaev landed a flurry of blows prompting the referee to wave off the bout in order to save Rahman from further punishment.

Two of the three judges Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge had Maskaev ahead with scores of 104–105 & 103–106, while Anek Hongtongkam had it for Rahman 106–103.{{cite web |title=Maskaev is WBC heavyweight champ |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/5240622.stm |website=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 August 2024 |date=13 August 2006}}

HBO's Harold Lederman had the bout scored 104–105 for Maskaev going into the 12th round, ESPN.com's Dan Rafael had it 106–103 for Rahman, with his colleague David Cooper having it 105–104 for Rahman.{{cite web |author1=David Cooper |title=Rahman-Maskaev II: Round-by-Round |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2547896 |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=5 February 2024 |date=12 August 2006}}

Aftermath

Speaking after the fight Maskaev said "I'm proud of where I come from, but I consider myself a Russian-American...this is a message to everyone: European fighters are tough."{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=Maskaev stops Rahman to win WBC heavyweight title |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2548083 |website=espn.com/ |publisher=ESPN |access-date=2 February 2024 |date=13 August 2006}}

There was talk of Klitschko fighting Maskaev in a title unification match at Madison Square Garden in November, however Maskaev oped to face the little known Okello Peter in December while Klitschko faced Brock.{{cite web |author1=John Rawling |title=Maskaev proves doubters wrong |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/aug/14/boxing.gdnsport3 |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 February 2024 |date=14 August 2006}}{{cite web |author1=Dan Rafael |title=Maskaev seeks rest before thinking about Klitschko |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2558407 |website=espn.com/ |publisher=ESPN |access-date=5 February 2024 |date=23 August 2006}}{{cite web |author1=Dan Rafael |title=Klitschko drops Brock in the seventh to defend title |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2658291 |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=5 February 2024 |date=11 November 2006}}