Boxing History: Maskaev and Fenech Secure Major WBC Titles
A look back at significant WBC title victories on August 12, including Oleg Maskaev's heavyweight win and Jeff Fenech's featherweight defense.
August 12 marks several significant milestones in WBC championship history. Oleg Maskaev secured the WBC heavyweight world title in 2006 by stopping Hasim Rahman. The victory came via a 12th-round TKO at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On that same 2006 card in Las Vegas, David Díaz won the WBC interim lightweight title. The American fighter defeated Mexico's José Armando Santa Cruz through a 10th-round TKO. This victory followed a difficult and long contest.
In 1988, Jeff Fenech successfully defended his WBC featherweight world title in Melbourne, Australia. Fighting at the National Tennis Centre, the local boxer stopped Tyrone Downes in the 5th round. The match ended in a TKO for the defending champion.
Tokyo hosted two major WBC title bouts on August 12, 2013, at the Ota-City General Gymnasium. Shinsuke Yamanaka defended his WBC bantamweight world title with a first-round TKO. The southpaw fighter stopped Puerto Rican challenger José Nieves early in the match.
Akira Yaegashi also secured a title defense in Tokyo on that same night in 2013. Yaegashi retained his WBC flyweight world title against Mexico's Oscar Blanquet. The bout went the full 12 rounds, resulting in a unanimous decision for the home favorite.
Source: WBC