21st CENTURY GIANTS

*ONLY fights that took place after 2000 are considered for ranking purposes

25 OLEG MASKAEV

2-1 (1)

WORLD TITLE FIGHT RECORD

Best wins: Hasim Rahman, Derrick Jefferson, Sinan Samil Sam MASKAEV could look like an elite heavy in one fight and utterly dreadful in his next. Hasim Rahman’s bogeyman, the Russian held the WBC title for a little while but losing it to Samuel Peter does little for his reputation. That he made it that far is good going when one considers he started the century with back-to-back KO losses to Lance Whitaker and Kirk Johnson.

24 FRES OQUENDO

0-2

Best wins: Clifford Etienne, Bruce Seldon, Maurice Harris

NOTORIOUS for being the WBA’s mandatory contender for pretty much the entire century, Oquendo was once a top class big man unlucky not to snare a portion of the title. He was on the wrong end of a few contentious decisions, blew a lead against David Tua and was nip-and-tuck with several fighters a long way above him in these rankings.

23 JOSEPH PARKER

3-1

Best wins: Andy Ruiz Jnr, Carlos Takam, Hughie Fury

LET’S face it, though not exactly thrillers, Parker’s close victories over Andy Ruiz Jnr, Carlos Takam and Hughie Fury are decent on paper. Didn’t cover himself in glory while