Former two-time heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will begin his comeback against three-time title challenger Jameel McCline on September 22 in Munich, Germany. For Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), it will be his first fight since his December 2004 KO against Danny Williams. Vitali retired in 2005 after a series of injuries. McCline (38-7-3, 23 KOs) is coming off an unsuccessful January WBA title challenge against then-champ Nikolai Valuev that ended in round three when McCline collapsed with a knee injury. Vitali's brother, current IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko, stopped McCline via tenth round TKO in 2002. The WBC has mandated that Vitali, recognized as "champion emeritus," be given an immediate title shot against the winner of the mandatory Oleg Maskaev-Samuel Peter fight.

Samuel Peter co-promoter Duva Boxing has won the right to stage the WBC mandatory title defense of Oleg Maskaev against Samuel Peter. Promoters Dino Duva, Don King and Dennis Rappaport were all on hand at noon Monday at WBC headquarters in Mexico City for the long anticipated WBC purse offer proceeding.

Move over Las Vegas. Moscow, Russia may become the place for big-time boxing with no less than two heavyweight title bouts scheduled for the same day in June. The 12,000 seat Luzhniki Sports Palace will be the host for the delayed WBO title fight between title-holder Shannon Briggs and mandatory challenger Sultan Ibragimov. Meanwhile it also looks like WBC champ Oleg Maskaev will also box in the region, making his second title defense against returning former champion Vitali Klitschko.

The clock is ticking down for WBC #1 ranked heavyweight contender Samuel Peter and his camp. Peter was recently offered $2.5 million in "step-aside" money with an "iron-clad" deal to fight the winner of a May 19th HBO date between current champion Oleg Maskaev and former champ Vitali Klitschko.

The on-going debate to determine the next challenger for WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev continues Tuesday as intermediaries representing Maskaev, former champion Vitali Klitschko and current number-one ranked Samuel Peter meet again in informal negotiations. "Discussions are going on today," Maskaev promoter Dennis Rappaport explained to FightNews. "The different sides are talking." According to Rappaport, Peter has been offered $2.5 million dollars as "step-aside" money so that Maskaev can defend his belt against "WBC Champion Emeritus" Klitschko in a May bout to take place in Moscow.

Dino Duva, promoter of #1 heavyweight contender Samuel Peter, has issued the following open letter to comebacking former champion Vitali Klitschko, who has now publicly announced his intention to step over mandatory challenger Peter and face WBC belt holder Oleg Maskaev:

It was less than three years ago, when the potential European fight of the year between undisputed junior welterweight king Kostya Tszyu and mandatory challenger Sharmba Mitchell, scheduled to take place in Olympiysky Sports Arena, Moscow, on February, 2004, was scratched for good due to injuries, suffered by Kostya during his preparation. The unlucky occasion ruined all the plans, leaving organizers with the black holes in their budget and boxing fans with the horrible feeling of being cheated. The fight wasn’t, however, canceled but was relocated to USA and took place in early November the same year.

It was when no one in Russia could really believe that the title bout would somehow be arranged in the largest country on planet in the nearest future. Financial losses, lack of interest among sponsors and sportive media as well as the absence of world-beaters in higher weight classes were the clear factors, preventing any important fight from being held in Eastern Europe.

Situation turned around considerably in the last two years. Starting from Valuev’s successful performance against WBA beltholder John Ruiz and going on with Vladimir Klitschko and Sergey Liakhovich dominant victories over Chris Byrd (IBF) and Lamon Brewster (WBO), it reached its highest point on August, 12, when 37-year old Oleg Maskaev completed the clean sweep by post-Soviet fighters, having knocked out WBC boss Hasim Rahman in 12th round of their brutal clash.

‘The Big O’ became the first champion among the Eastern European heavyweight bunch, who decided to defend his belt in Motherland. The negotiations were pretty complicated, but at last WBC #10 Japan-based Ugandan Peter Okhello was named as the voluntary challenger in early October, and the second only title fight in Russian boxing history landed on December, 10, at the same Olympiysky Sports Arena. The only previous title collision, held in Russia thirteen years ago, was the IBF cruiserweight championship between Al Cole and Glenn McRory.

It’s official. WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev is the Russian citizen since now. The President of Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has signed the edict today, which allowed ‘The Big O’ to receive his long-awaited Russian citizenship. The next day will surely be something special for 37-year old Oleg, as he is to become the first ever Russian champion to defend his title in his Motherhood. Maskaev will enter the ring under the Russian flag and hymn to retain his heavyweight championship versus tough Japan-based Ugandan Peter Okhello on Sunday night at Olympiysky Sports Arena, Moscow, Russia.

Oleg Maskaev (33-5, 26 KOs) is already in Moscow, trying to reach his best physical and mental shape prior the upcoming WBC voluntary defense against Japan-based Ugandan Peter Okhello (18-4, 16 KOs), which will take its place the next Sunday, Dec. 10, in Olympiyski Sports Arena, Moscow.

The second only Russian heavyweight world champion (With Nikolay Valuev being the first one) has arrived in Moscow this Tuesday with his head coach Victor Valle, Jr., manager Fred Kesch, promoter Dennis Rappaport and chief sparring partner Zuri Lawrence. The champion was greeted soundly by Russian fans and immediately attacked by local media.

American Jay Nady will be the third man in the ring during the upcoming (Moscow, Dec. 10) WBC heavyweight showdown, featuring Russian Oleg Maskaev (33-5, 26 KOs) and Ugandan Peter Okhello (18-4, 16 KOs). Nady is widely known among Russian boxing fans for his loyalty to the rules of the Sweet Science and his mastership in refereeing world title fights, some of them featuring post-Soviet fighters. He was also the third man in the ring during the entitlement of the current champion, when Oleg sensationally kayoed Hasim Rahman in the very last round to capture his WBC belt.

Judging the fight will be Evgueni Gorstkov (Russia), Ken Morita (Japan) and Bob Logist (Belgium). WBC president Jose Suleyman will be present in Moscow, supervising the title clash. The promoter of the show Vladimir Hrunov confirmed that legendary Michael Buffer will be announcing the collision inside the squared ring.

It seems that Ross Puritty (30-19-3, 27 KOs) will be the next in line to face hot Russian prospect Alexander Povetkin (9-0, 7 KOs) on the undercard of the Maskaev – Okhello WBC heavyweight title clash, which is scheduled to take place on the 10th of December in Olympiysky Sports Arena, Moscow, Russia.

It was officially announced this Tuesday in Moscow, Russia, that current WBC heavyweight world champion Oleg Maskaev (33-5, 26 KOs) will make his first title defense against Japan-based Ugandan Peter Okhello (18-4, 16 KOs), who is ranked 10th by the WBC, on December 10 in Olympiysky Sports Arena, Moscow, Russia. This show will be arranged by Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab in association with promoter Vladimir Hrunov. Maskaev – Okhello fight will be the second ever title bout in Russian history (following Al Cole – Glenn McRory IBF cruiserweight showdown in July, 1993) and the first one to include Russian fighter as a participant in his homeland. However, no undercard of the show has been officially announced yet.