Quote Originally Posted by p4pking
Quote Originally Posted by plinden
As a fan any combination of these guys meeting is good. They both have claims to fight the champ. Vitali is also playing by the rules, its just a clash in the system, and so its up to the organizations discretion what is to be done.

also: WHAT IF PETER GOT HIS MASKAEV FIGHT?
If Oleg and Peter meet, I think that this fight will be easier for Oleg than the Tua fight.

a) From what I have seen of Peter, he is a durable, hard hitting, but also shortish, and lacking in polish.
He would find it hard to beat Maskaev. Maskaev, would have a 79 - 77 reach advantage, and a lot of experience and grit. Many lesser men than Big O, who in this fight would be bigger, if not heavier, have gone the distance against Peter. (Robert Hawkins, Jovo Pudar, etc.) Jovo weighing 20 pounds less than Peter and Oleg.
I see OLEG boxing like did against the Samoan, but not screwing it up this time by getting cocky. Plus TUA has an extra gear of Tyson like speed and power, explosivity, that I havent seen in Peter.
In the Tua fight you see Oleg winning the rounds by toughness and reach advantage, getting tagged late in the fight by Tua's exploding. I dont think Peter explodes enough to suprise Maskaev. IF he comes in at 250-270 he will be too slow.

b) And against Vitali I cant see him having ANY advantage or weapon, much much much shorter, less skilled, slower, less experienced. If he comes in heavy he want have the speed to reach Vitali -you know Vitali steps back and counters all nite, until he attacks, and then its over. Vitali has never ever been bettered or outboxed, only defeated by injury.
Tua TKOed Maskaev TEN years ago. Tua is also not the monster your apparently making him out to be, least imo...He was alot like Peter, and as easy as it is for you to say he showed an extra gear of speed and power, I can also say that Tua never looked to have the boxing ability that Peter showed against Toney in the rematch. Who knows which one of them was a better fighter, all Im saying is that Maskaev lasting 11 rounds before getting KOed against a similar opponent to Peter 10 years ago hardly means he would do as well now.. He has also, since that time, been KTFO by Kirk Johnson, Lance Whittaker, and Corey Sanders... COREY, not Corrie, the one who can fight. Maskaev beat the right guy at the right time in Rahman, that doesn't mean he's the same fighter he always was, even though he never was that good..
a) Maskaev is a real hero. He had his low, but we know that he came back stronger. Samil Sam, Rahman, Okello; three very respectable wins. Sam and Rahman definitely are serious about what they are doing.
Now to the point. Its true that it was a long time ago Maskaev and Tua met, but this means that it was a better version of Tua. Tua and Sam are similar, but I dont think that Peter is better than Tua 10 years ago, AND I dont think that his better in a way that helps him against MAskaev.
Maskaev won the rounds against Tua because of his reach, combinations, grit, and Tua had explosivity that Peter lacks, so I dont think that Sam has what it takes to beat Maskaev.
The skills Peter showed in last fight were sufficient to win against a smaller, physically weaker man and do not translate to a taller harder hitting guy. What is it you think Peter can do, e.g. to get around Maskaev's jab? Is Peter's head movement good enough to avoid Maskaevs straights?
Tony fought immobile against the ropes; Maskaev moves on the outside; its different story, Maskaev is more like Wlad, a bit slower, w. better shin and more grit.
Respect to Maskaev, take the Peter fight and show him!!!!!!! Here, this is what you asked for.
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=maskaev