Oleg Maskaev speaks!

"Samuel Peter can wait," claims the WBC Champ

In recent weeks the debate over who will get the next shot at WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev has intensified to enormous proportions. Number-one ranked Samuel Peter has claimed his right as the mandatory; pointing to consecutive elimination bouts he won against James Toney. Former champion Vitali Klitschko, meanwhile, has also asked for an immediate title shot against Maskaev, claiming his distinction as the "WBC Champion Emeritus" grants him the right to step over Peter. In addition to these claims, the representatives of Peter, Klitschko and Maskaev have all made impassioned arguments against one another and to the WBC as to who they think Maskaev, 34-5, 27 KO's, should have to box next. The lone voice missing from this triumvirate was that of the champion.

Until today.

In an exclusive interview with Fightnews, Maskaev claims that he'll fight whomever the WBC mandates though his preference is a clash against Klitschko. "I've been looking to fight Vitali Klitschko because we have to finish something that started when we were amateurs," Maskaev said of an early '90's amateur bout between the two future champions. "I stopped him in the first round. He's saying that he couldn't continue to fight because he had an injury. But the fact is that his trainer threw the towel in the middle of the ring and stopped the fight in the first round."

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Klitschko-Maskaev in Moscow?

According to the official site of Russian Professional Boxing Federation, Moscow is in the early running for the possible WBC heavyweight championship between the current master Oleg Maskaev (34-5, 26 KO) and the WBC emeritus champion Vitaly Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs). The rumor is that the fight could occur on April 21, under promotion of Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab. There are two possible venues, including Ice Palace on Khodynka field and Olympiysky Sports Arena. The latter was also the host of the first ever heavyweight championship in Russian history between Oleg Maskaev and Peter Okhello of Uganda the last December.

The other company, which will certainly be at least co-promoting the event is the Klitschko brothers’ K2 promotions. No deal is done as of now; however, the official announcement concerning the comeback of Vitaly Klitschko and its possible showdown will supposedly be made this Thursday (according to some sources – today!) at a huge Hamburg presser. The former champion, who retired for good in November 2005, was received an OK to fight again following a detailed examination by accomplished by Dr. Berndt Kabelka, a sports trauma specialist.

UPDATE: There is currently no boxing-related press conference scheduled for former two-time heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, who is travelling today from Kiev to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. However there is interest from Vitali, who is still recognized by the WBC as "champion emertitus," in a potential showdown against currently reigning WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev in the event the WBC Board of Governors were to officially approve an immediate mandatory fight between the two. Further announcements are expected today.

Source: www.fightnews.com