Prefight
The challenger, Oleg Maskaev, comes out first with a calm look on his face...like it's just another day at the office. The champion, Hasim Rahman, enters next with a slight snarl on his face. He raises his hand to the crowd as he enters the ring. An odd silence in the arena...like the calm before the storm. Buffer begins to warm the crowd up though. shady Nady gives the salute. "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Man it's eerily quiet in the arena tonight...I wonder if that means something.

Round 1
Both men come out cautious. Rahman fires the first jab to the body. Maskaev looking to counter. Rahman lands a jab. Another jab lands for Rahman followed by a right to the body. Maskaev looks slow. Rahman lands the first definitive right hand. Jab landing pretty easily for Rahman . Maskaev lands a right. Rahman still landing the jab and backing Maskaev up. Maskaev fires a slow right hand that misses over the top. Shady Nady already in Rahman's ear for hitting on the side. Maskaev fires a 4-punch combo that gets blocked. Maskaev lands a right hand. Rahman landing his jab again. A feeling out round for both. Round to Rahman.

Rahman 10 Maskaev 9

Round 2
Maskaev quick to meet Rahman at the center of the ring. Both men circle each other. Rahman fires the jab. Maskaev staying away. Rahman lands a right ot the body. Maskaev lands a good right hand on the inside. 1-2 lands for Rahman. Good right backs Maskaev up. Jab working well for Rahman. Maskaev lands a left hook. They clinch. Nady in Rahman's ear again. Hard right hand lands for Rahman. Trickle of blood flows from Maskaev. Good body shot lands for Maskaev. Nady says the cut is from a headbutt. Jab lands for Rahman...and a right to the body. Maskaev backs up to the corner. Rahman landing the jab...doubling up on it now. Maskaev circles away. They trade right hands to end the round. Round to Rahman.

Rahman 20 Maskaev 18

Round 3
Maskaev flicks a lazy jab out now. Rahman fires a stiff one of his own and lands a hard right hand. Maskaev lands a hard left hook. Hard right hand by Maskaev lands. Maskaev lands a left hook, but Rahman shakes it off like he's unfazed. Right hand to the body lands for Maskaev. Nady in Maskaev's ear now for holding. Rahman lands a right hand. They trade jabs. Rahman lands a left. Wooooo...nice right hand from Rahman has Maskaev stunned. Maskaev on the retreat now. Rahman walking him down. Maskaev fires two straight rights that are partially blocked. Wooooooo..Maskaev lands a hard left hook that backs Rahman up now. Rahman talks some smack to him to end the round. Round to Rahman. On a side note...I see Leonard Ellerbe is working Rock's corner. Good to see that the suspension is over.

Rahman 30 Maskaev 27

Round 4
Maskaev fires a left hook that's partially blocked. Rahman  working the jab now. Wooooo..big left hook and right hand from Rahman has Maskaev shook again. Maskaev on the retreat. Nice uppercut from Rahman lands. Maskaev covers up as Rahman works him along the ropes. Rahman lands the jab. They trade body shots on the inside. Maskaev looking for that one big punch. Rahman lands the jab. Maskaev misses with a big overhand right to end the round. Round to Rahman as he continues to walk Maskaev down.

Rahman 40 Maskaev 36

Round 5
Rahman landing the jab. Hard overhand right lands for Maskaev, but Rahman still coming forward. Wooooo...stiff right hand from Rahman lands. Maskaev answers with a left hook. Both men trading now. Maskaev landing the better punches, but Rahman still walking him down. Rahman lands a jab. Maskaev takes a deep breath...getting a little winded. Shady Nady warns Maskaev about holding. Nady really in Maskaev's ear a lot. Wooooooo...hard left hook lands for Rahman. Maskaev takes it though and lands another left hook. Maskaev lands a hard straight right hand. Rahman lands a left hook to end the round. Good round for Maskaev, but Rahman is walking him down like he's unfazed by the punches. Round to Maskaev.

Rahman 49 Maskaev 46

Round 6
Rahman back to working the jab. Left hook lands for Maskaev. Rahman answers with one of his own. Maskaev retreats to the ropes...looks winded. Second wsarning from Nady about holding to Maskaev. Rahman lands the jab. Maskaev lands a right. rock works  him on the inside. Nady still complaining about holding. Merchant tells Nady to stop it. Two stiff jabs land for Rock. And another. Not quite as much action in this round. Rahman landed his jab often, but Maskaev landed the more telling shots. Round to Maskaev.

Rahman 58 Maskaev 56

Round 7
Woooo....both men trading hard shots now. Shades of their first fight. Maskaev lands a right over the top. WOOOOOOOO...HUGE right hand lands for Maskaev. Rahman is hurt. His legs look shaky. Makaev continues to fire that right hand. Rahman eats it, but he's getting the worst of it. Hard body shot lands for Masksaev. Rahman continues to come forwaard. Now Rahman lands a big right hand. Jab lands for Rahman. They clinch. Hard left hook lands for Rahman. Round to Maskaev.

Rahman  67 Maskaev 66

Round 8
Both men trading jabs now. Both men getting tired now. Rahman lands a stiff jab. And another jab has Maskaev backing up. Another STIFF jab rocks Maskaev's head back. Chants of "Oleg, Oleg, Oleg" begin. Maskaev looks really tired. Not throwing much. Jabs landing for Rahman. Left hook lands for Makaev. Big right hand from Rahman snaps Maskaev's head back. Left hook to the body from Rahman has Maskaev holding on. Maskaev having trouble keeping his hands up...looks exhausted. Left hook lands for Maskaev though...but Rahman lands a nice right hand and a left hook of his own. And a flurry from Rahman to end the round as Maskaev appears to be running out of gas. Round to Rahman.

Rahman 77 Maskaev 75

Round 9
Rahman doubling up on the jab now. Good left to the body lands for Maskaev. Stiff jab landing for Rahman. Maskaev just looking to land a big 1-2. Maskaev looks real weak in his legs. Rahman content to work behind the jab . Good right hand and left hook lands for Maskaev. Hard right hand lands for Rahman in the corner though. Maskaev fires another right hand and left hook through the guard of Rahman. They trade body shots. Rock works him in the corner to end the round. Round to Rahman.

Rahman 87 Maskaev 84

Round 10
Hard right hand lands for Maskaev to start the round. Rahman takes it and keeps coming forward. Rahman works the body on the inside and lands a left hook upstairs. Rahman landing a nice jab. 1-2 from Maskaev is blocked by Rahman. Left hand lands for Rahman. Hard body shots land for Maskaev. Crushing right hand blasts through Rahman's gurard. And another left hook to the body has Rahman doubling over. 1-2 lands for Maskaev, but Rahman just eats it again and keeps coming. Maskaev works the body again with two crushing shots. Rahman tries to flurry at the end, but it's not enough. Good round for Maskaev.

Rahman 96 Maskaev 94

Round 11
Maskaev flicks a slow jab out and lands a left hook. And another left hook lands for Maskaev. Rahman lands a nice overhand right. They trade jabs. Hard right hand from Maskaev lands. Maskaev blasts through Rahman's guard again with a left hook. Rahman works him in the corner again and Maskaev holds on. Left hook lands for Maskaev, but boy does he look tired. Maskaev lands a 1-2 as Rahman doesn't let his hands go. Nice 3-punch combo rakes Rahman across the face. Rahman holds on. Woooo..two left hooks land for Maskaev. Rahman looks tired. Maskaev lands a low blow and there's a momentary break in the action. They trade left hooks to end the round. Round to Maskaev.

Rahman 105 Maskaev 104

Round 12
They trade jabs. Maskaev looks like he's found his second wind. A break in the action to fix Rahman's tape. Hard jailhouse right hook lands on the inside for Rahman. WOOOOOOOOO...HUGE 1-2 lands for Maskaev that sends Rahman to the canvas. Rahman is up, but he was hurt. WOOOOOO...Maskaev looks to finish him off. Rahman tries to hold on and falls down as he tackles him. Maskaev lands another right hand. Rahman just holding on. Wooo....a right hand lands for maskaev again as Rahman holds on for dear life. WOOOOOOO.....HUGE right hand lands for Maskaev again. Rock is hurt. Rock is done. Maskaev landing a lot. Rock is done. They should stop it. Maskaev lands five straight right hands in a row. It's over. THAT'S IT. Nady stops it. Maskaev wins.

Maskaev TKO12

AND NEW WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.....

Oleg Maskaev