TROITSK, Russia, December 31 (R-Sport) – Former WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev stopped ex-contender Owen Beck on his return to the ring after three years away.
Maskaev, 43, knocked his Jamaican opponent down in each of the first two rounds Sunday before sending Beck to the canvas again in the third.
The referee ruled Beck was unable to carry on and gave Maskaev the win by technical knockout.
Beck has now lost his last nine fights and rarely threatened Maskaev, although a blow in the second cut the Russian.
“I saw and found an opportunity to make the fight beautiful,” Maskaev said, adding he had learnt lessons from the first-round defeat to Nagy Aguilera that sent him into retirement.
“I wanted to do that cautiously, taking into account that it didn’t work out for me in my last fight.”
Maskaev added he felt fit. “My condition didn’t let me down,” he said, adding that his promoter was planning to arrange more fights for him in Russia.
Beck defended his performance by pointing to Maskaev’s record. “He’s fought strong boxers,” he said.
Maskaev, nicknamed “The Big O”, moves to a 37-7 record after his first win since March 2009, while “What The Heck” Beck is now 29-12.
