Click for larger image © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

Yesterday at Madison Square Garden, Don King Productions announced the WBC Heavyweight Championship fight between Oleg Maskaev, 34-5 (26), and Samuel Peter, 28-1 (22), which will take place at the “Mecca of Boxing” on October 6, 2007.

The official announcement for the fight finally came after months of negotiations. Earlier this year, WBC Champion Emeritus Vitali Klitschko announced that he was returning to boxing and tried to secure a title fight against WBC Champion Maskaev while side-stepping the number one challenger, Sam Peter.

In April, the WBC announced that the proposed match between Maskaev and Klitschko would not take place as the camps of Maskaev, Klitschko and Peter could not reach an agreement. In addition, the WBC ordered that Klitschko be the WBC mandatory challenger to the winner of the Maskaev-Peter fight.

Fast-forward five months and the Maskaev vs. Peter match is finally on. It seemed that the delays in making this fight happen didn’t affect the fighters as much as their promoters.

Lou Duva spoke for his son Dino, who was not able to attend the press conference. “Sam Peter is coming to fight and throw knockout punches…it’s up to Maskaev how long it goes, but it’s going to happen, Sam Peter will knock him out… you can run but you can’t hide!” Duva then pointed to the media, “You, you and you, bet on it, Sam Peter will knock out Oleg Maskaev!”

The colorful Dennis Rappaport, best known for promoting Gerry Cooney, responded to Duva’s comments. “With all due respect to Mr. Duva, who I have a lot of respect for, he’s not fighting James Toney, he’s fighting Oleg Maskaev and he’s right, the fight will end with a knockout but I will tell you this… at the end of that fight this man’s hand will be raised, this man will win by knockout!”

Don King finally brought Sam Peter to the podium after introducing just about everybody that has ever been involved in Peter’s life. "I'm here in a great place to make history; it's going to be a great fight on October 6th.” Peter then spoke directly to the champion, “Oleg Maskaev, hasta la vista, you're belt belongs to me… you are already done.”

Maskaev came to the podium relaxed and confident, "This is a big fight in my life. My next step... I'm taking this fight very seriously, I train very hard.” Maskaev responded to Peter’s statement, “Oleg Maskaev always comes to fight and always comes to win… like Russians say, I’ll be back! Don't ever say you’re going to make it before you made it.”

Also appearing on the fight card will be two-time world champion Jose Rivera, 38-5 (24), against another two-time world champion Daniel Santos, 30-3-1 (21), for the WBA Super Welterweight elimination bout to determine the number one mandatory challenger.

In a heavyweight special attraction, Andrew Golota, 39-6-1 (32), will face the last man to defeat Mike Tyson in the ring, Kevin McBride, 34-5-1 (29).

Click for larger image © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

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