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No one could have predicted that former IBF Light Heavy Champion Henry Maske would return to boxing without a single fight in the last ten years and handily outpoint fellow 43 year old Virgil Hill, an active four time ex-world champion at light heavy and cruiserweight.
But that’s exactly what happened last night in front of 12,000 screaming Maske fans at Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany as the two tangled in a rematch set at the old cruiserweight limit of 190 lbs.
At the same venue in 1996, Maske and Hill clashed for the IBF and WBA Light Heavy titles and Hill came out victorious via a hard fought split decision, handing Maske his first defeat and sending the German into a ten year plus retirement.
Fast forward to the present and Maske seemed like he was on a mission impossible against a man who, despite an advanced age, won the WBA Cruiser belt just 14 months ago.
Once the rematch started, the two old rivals spent a few rounds studying each other before Maske was able to shake off the ringrust and put his sizable height advantage to good use.
Hill pressed the action but was consistently picked off by Maske, who surprisingly was the fresher fighter.
There was a clash of heads in the eighth round with Hill emerging with a deep laceration above an eye and Maske had a point taken away.
Hill’s chances to reverse the tide of the bout seemed to go out the window with the injury and the American veteran was targeted with increasing accuracy by his German antagonist until the bout ran it’s twelve round course.
When scores were read, Maske won on all three cards, 117-110 (twice) and 116-113, vowing to retire for good this time.
