Rappaport: Maskaev Mandatory Not Due Until August; Duva, Gotzev “Delusional Windbags”

30.01.07 – Michael Marley, www.boxingconfidential.com: Oleg Maskaev promoter Dennis “The Menace” Rappaport spent a week on a Caribbean cruise where he barely had time to sit in a lounge chair. Rapstar, who admits to being a workaholic, spent most of his “vacation” burning up the phone lines with WBC president Jose Sulaiman and Shelly Finkel, who handles returning WBC heavyweight champion “emeritus” Vitali Klitschko..

It’s no secret that Rapstar and Finkel are hoping for a quick WBC green light to put on a Maskaev-Vitali heavyweight title bout in Moscow. They want to stage the lucrative fight in April or May. Rapstar contends that, with all the squawking from the top contender Sam Peter’s reps, the current champ’s rights are being ignored.

“Dino Duva is emotional and so is the manager (Iyvalo Gotzev),” Rappaport said. “Dino is overly emotional anyway but the manager gets him wound up. They are both delusional windbags. They are just blowing so much wind about this simple situation. They make themselves and Peter out to be victims here and that is just not the case,” Rappaport said.

Rapstar said Finkel diplomatically called Duva in an effort to reach an accord but got nowhere. Rappaport said Duva “would not talk about” any compromise.

Maskaev’s position, according to Rapstar, is that he has until mid-August to make a mandatory defense, one year from when Oleg dethroned Hasim Rahman. For Maskaev to fight Peter next woulld be “an idiot’s delight” according to Rapstar.

“We can pick anyone we want from the ratings, from 1-12,” Rappaport said. “Vitali’s brother, Wladimir, beat Peter and Vitali never lost the title in the ring. So why would we choose to fight Peter first? Vitali and Maskaev means huge, huge revenues. Peter would be better off to wait.”

Rappaport said that under WBC regulations, if Vitali gets an immediate title shot under “extreme special circumstances” as a “legendary former champion,” the Maskaev/Vitali winnner would be obligated to next defend against Peter.

“I understand Peter’s frustration but my champion’s rights cannot and will not be ignored here,” Rappaport said. “All that talk from Duva and the manager is just so much gobbleygook.”

Rappaport said he sent a lengthy letter to Sulaiman on the matter last night.