#5 Heavyweight Samuel Peter scored a 6th round stoppage over #6 Oleg Maskaev in Cancun Saturday night, pummelling the older fighter on the ropes until the ref stepped in with seconds left in the round. Peter had Maskaev in trouble in round three as well, but overall the fight was very even through five rounds.
Round by round summary
Maskaev entered the ring in a sombrero and robe emblazoned with "God's fighter" on the back. He looked somewhat weary and was notably sweating, and seemed slightly out of shape. Peter looked even larger and more out of shape, but for him that's not as unusual.
Round 1: The fight started very slow. Both fighters were tentative, especially Maskaev, who seemed unsure of himself in his first ring appearance since 2006. Very few punches were thrown by either fighter; Maskaev threw a few jabs, while Peter went to the body. He had a few decent rights, including one rabbit punch that Maskaev tried to signal to the ref by grabbing the back of his head.
Round 1 to Peter 10-9. A very close round as not much was done at all. Could have been 10-10.
Round 2: A somewhat quicker pace, though that doesn't say much. Maskaev threw more jabs and Peter countered with hooks. Both tried a few combinations for the first time. There was more clinching as both fighters started to look tired in the last minute. Though he still looked very tentative, Maskaev's jabs were connecting throughout the round, but he walked right into a hard Peter jab at the bell.
Round 2 to Maskaev 10-9. Another close round, given to Maskaev mainly to even the fight overall.
Round 3: Peter began using the jab more, and Maskaev walked into another one. Peter also threw his hooks, and caught Maskaev on the back of the head twice more, with Maskaev still signalling this to the ref, who warned Peter. Then Peter caught Oleg with a few good shots that rocked him, and Maskaev drifted back toward his corner as Peter unloaded a barrage of punches, going for the KO. Though he definitely was in trouble, Maskaev covered well and Peter didn't attack intelligently, only wearing himself out. He stopped with about 30 seconds left in the round, and soon Maskaev rocked Peter with a huge shot himself, and scored on several hard punches. Both fighters looked dead on their feet as the round ended.
Round 3 to Peter, 10-9. If Maskaev hadn't come back at the end, it was a clear 10-8 round.
Round 4: Another close round as both fighters were more deliberate in their actions as fatigue had set in. Maskaev actually looked more poised and confident after the previous round's barrage; he used jabs well and stalked Peter confidently. There was a good exchange a minute into the round. In all, Maskaev looked in control as Peter was looking again for the big punch he got last round, but ended up swinging wildly for the most part.
Round 4 to Maskaev, 10-9. Most people gave this round to Peter, though I felt the few times he connected didn't justify it. Overall my score would have the fight even, when clearly Peter deserved an advantage for his success in round 3. The judges' scores were announced during round 5 and all three had Peter ahead by two rounds.
Round 5: Much like round 4, Maskaev's hard jabs were countered by Peter's fewer but more powerful swings. The fighters were clearly tiring later in the round, with Maskaev dropping his guard at times. There was a good exchange with 45 seconds left, then Maskaev hit Peter hard with a right just before the round ended, but Peter weathered it and responded with some of his own.
Round 5 to Peter, 10-9. The announcers called this one for Maskaev. The fourth and fifth could each go either way, and overall were even. In any case, my cumulative score gives a 1-round advantage to Peter, which is what the judges would have if they gave Maskaev the round. Either way, it wouldn't matter, soon...
Round 6: In the first minute there were fewer shots, but bigger ones. In the middle of the round Peter inadvertantly rabbit punched Oleg again, who signalled this to the ref as Peter continued to batter him. Then with less than a minute left, Peter hit Maskaev with a hard right which stunned him; he was basically out on his feet. As he tried to avoid Peter's barrage he leaned against the ropes and did not cover up effectively, and ultimately a left hook caught him flush to the face and knocked him against the corner ropes and the ref stopped the fight with just seconds left in the round.
Winner by TKO: Samuel Peter.
Analysis
It's too bad Maskaev couldn't have held on a few more seconds to the end of the round. With recovery time, he may have been able to make it an interesting fight; although Peter would have had a substantial lead, as both fighters tired anything could have happened. Most likely, though, surviving the 6th round would have just forestalled the inevitable, a KO in round 7, 8, or 9.
Though the announcers talked about how much better Peter's second attack was than his first, the main difference was in how Maskaev covered up the first time and didn't the second time. Though he was clearly hurt worse in the 6th, he appeared to be trying to follow the advice his corner gave him after round 3. In that round, Maskaev covered up and stayed put, allowing Peter to hit him while he was completely defended, and it worked; but his corner told him to move out of there, and look for an opportunity to counter. During the sixth round barrage, he moved a lot, and when he ended up on the ropes, instead of fully turtling up he aimlessly held his hands as if looking to punch his way out, which he was in no condition to do. Instead, he left himself open to the KO. I'm not saying that the corner's advice was bad or even questionable, but that Maskaev, in trying to follow it in a loopy mental state, became a sitting duck.
The real questionable strategy by Maskaev was trying to protest Peter's rabbit punches. Though the ref did warn Peter a couple of times, it was clear that he didn't consider them deliberate, more a result of Peter's looping hook style and Maskaev's attempts to clinch. Maskaev's way of protesting to the ref—by putting his left hand on the back of his head—actually left his face open to Peter, and in the 6th round Peter scored while Oleg was trying to call attention to rabbit punches. I'm not sure that this led in any way to the knockout barrage, but the key right hand by Peter followed soon after.
Peter and Maskev's future
With the win, Peter puts himself in a position to fight a Klitschko. Which one he will remains a question. Champion Wladimir, whom Peter knocked down three times in a losing effort, has challengers in line from the IBF and WBO already. Vitali Klitschko, ever looking to come back, is a given if Don King has his way. In either case, one fight would probably lead to the other if Peter wins. Given Wlad's alleged committments and the fact he beat Peter before, the Vitali fight is the path of least resistance in terms of arranging it.
Peter looked good but not great in the fight. Certainly he has power, but his skill consists mainly of waiting for an opportunity to strike, which makes sure he doesn't wear himself out. In the first barrage in the 3rd round he was completely ineffective against a well-covered fighter, and in the 6th he scored well against a dazed, unprotected fighter. It would be interesting to see him up against a young, skilled figher like Povetkin, or a fighter much larger than himself like Valuev. But he doesn't seem ready to rematch Wladimir.
For Oleg Maskaev, this looks like the end. He could still compete in the division, even at 39, but he looked very weary even before the fight began, and he's starting to look like it's becoming hard for him to stay in shape. If this fight had happened when it was scheduled last year, he probably would have done a lot better, but the back injury he suffered that delayed the fight—as well as the long layoff since his last bout—seems to have sapped some of his vital energy, and from here things will only get more difficult. Losing to a top-ranked fighter like Peter doesn't have to end a fighter's career, even for an aging fighter as Holyfied has shown, but without any name recognition his chances of ever getting another title shot seem slim.