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CANCUN, Mexico: Nigeria’s Samuel Peter registered a sixth-round
technical knockout of Oleg Maskaev to capture the World Boxing
Council heavyweight title on Saturday.
Peter stopped Maskaev at two minutes, 56 seconds
of the sixth round to become the first Nigerian boxer to win a
heavyweight championship belt.
Peter outboxed the Russian throughout,
connecting on 44 percent of his punches to Maskaev’s 35 percent at
the Plaza de Toros arena.
This was the first major heavyweight title fight
to take place in Mexico.
Peter (30-1) has suffered just one career loss
to Wladimir Klitschko.
Peter now has to fight recently unretired Vitali
Klitschko, Wladimir’s older brother, before a potential meeting
with the younger Klitschko.
On the undercard, lightweight Nate Campbell of
the United States, dethroned previously unbeaten Mexican Juan Diaz
(33-1), who held the IBF-WBA-WBO titles.
Campbell (32-5-1) cut Diaz over the left eye
with a punch in round six, however Campbell was deducted a point in
that round by referee Jesus Salcedo Lopez for a butt to the head.
The judges’ scores were 115-112, 116-111 for
Campbell and 114-113 for Diaz.
-- AFP
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