3/8/08 - Cancun, Mexico
Samuel Peter KO 6 Oleg Maskaev
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The WBC heavyweight title fight between "interim" champion Samuel Peter and "full" champion Oleg Maskaev was preceded by a storm of accusations, speculations and political intrigue but when the two fighters stepped inside the ropes the ultimate result couldn’t have been more definitive. By stopping Maskaev in the sixth round, "The Nigerian Nightmare" ended a recent power shortage that saw him go the distance in five of his last six fights and became the most commercially attractive opponent for IBF/WBO king Wladimir Klitschko.

In terms of output, Maskaev was slightly more active than Peter as he averaged 42 punches per round over the five completed rounds while Peter averaged 41 over the same span, figures that were still below the divisional average of 46. While both men started the fight in respectful fashion, the advancing Peter amassed the better numbers. Peter kept the left hand busy as he stalked the circling Maskaev as 38 of his 51 attempted punches and nine of his 14 connects were jabs. Conversely, Maskaev was a mere 5 of 32 overall as he spent the round studying Peter behind his jab, which was an anemic 3 of 22 (14 percent).

Maskaev picked up his pace considerably in the second as he out-landed Peter by 15-14 overall and out-jabbed him 10-7 while Peter carried a slim 7-5 edge in power punches. The third was the most action-packed round of the bout, a round that saw Maskaev stunned by a series of rights midway through the round and Peter hurt by a left hook in the final minute. Peter won the round statistically with a 19-16 overall edge, but Maskaev may have captured the session in the judges’ eyes as nine of his connects occurred in the final minute.

Maskaev continued to rally in the fourth as he went 12 of 37 overall while Peter’s activity dropped off dramatically. In the third he threw 55 punches but in the fourth it plunged to a mere 21, including a surprising 1 of 8 in terms of power punches. Peter’s slump continued in the fifth as he was out-landed 20-10 overall and 12-1 in jabs, though he did earn a slim 9-8 edge in power punches. But all of that changed in the sixth and final round as Peter explosively disposed of Maskaev with a series of combinations to the head. In that round Peter landed 25 of his 35 power shots (71 percent) and went an impressive 31 of 50 overall (62 percent), far exceeding Maskaev’s 4 of 11 in power punches (36 percent) and 13 of 31 overall (42 percent).

That final round burst enabled the Nigerian to surge ahead of Maskaev in the final totals. Peter (30-1, 23 KO) was 93 of 255 (36 percent) overall, landing 38 of his 130 jabs (29 percent) and 55 of his 125 power punches (44 percent). Maskaev (34-6, 26 KO) connected on 81 of his 243 attempted blows (33 percent), 47 of his 146 jabs (32 percent) and 34 of his 97 power punch attempts (35 percent).

The best and worst of Peter were on display in Cancun Saturday night as he showed off his power while also demonstrating that he could be out-hustled by an active, mobile boxer.

That was the formula Wladimir Klitschko followed when he inflicted the only loss on Peter’s record in September 2005, but before boxing fans get to see that rematch they may well have to sit through a fight with another Klitschko. Former WBC and WBO titlist Vitali Klitschko was declared the WBC champion emeritus, and as such was given an opportunity to challenge for his old belt should be decide to come out of retirement and engage in his first contest since stopping Danny Williams in eight rounds in December 2004. Because he has decided to do so, the world will bear witness to another example of what Howard Cosell called "jurisdictional chaos."

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