21.12.07 – By Tony Nobbs: Thrown in the “too tough” basket throughout his career, former World Boxing Association middleweight champion Maselino Masoe (27-4, 26 whacks) is not finished with boxing and wants another world title shot early in the new year. The humble Samoan said yesterday that the fight he specifically wants is with WBA 168 pound “regular” title holder Anthony Mundine..
“Let’s see who the man is” asked the 41 year old welder from his South Auckland, New Zealand home before leaving for work.
“That’s the fight I have always wanted.”
“I respect him, he is very fast, skilled and has accomplished much. I have sparred him twice, I want to show him that fighting is different to sparring.”
“I want to get in there wearing ten ounce gloves, no head gear and no big body protector.”
5’8 Mase won the vacant WBA 160 pound belt on May 1, 2004, knocking out in two rounds Evans Ashira, the Danish based Kenyan who later went on to go the route with Joe Calzaghe.
Hand problems sidelined him and kept him from cashing in on the championship status. He never fought again until losing the title to Felix Sturm in Germany in March 2006. “I don’t like to talk the past but I was disappointed the way I fought early in the fight. He is a very good, fast boxer and a good champion. I started to come strong late and he showed me he is also a fast runner. As quick as I was there, he was gone.”
Does he think he could have knocked Sturm out had he had a tune up? “I don’t want to say, he was better on the night, but I’d have hit him more. Definitely.”
Another points loss followed – to American Randy Griffin July ’06 in St Louis, MO . “That has to be the most disappointing fight of my career. I thought I won, I told Noel before the decision I thought I won, that I’d done enough but it is always hard to win in America against an American.”
The Griffin fight was an eliminator and Griffin went on to battle Sturm to a draw.
“I know my career is not going to last much longer so I want another go at a world championship. It’s not about money. I’m a fighter.”
Masoe is a three time Olympian , twice making the quarter finals. “My loss in the second Olympics (1992) was disappointing. I thought I beat the guy, a Hungarian”. A win would have seen “Mase”, possibly the nicest fighter I have met, take home at least a bronze medal. He turned pro in 1997. “I probably stayed amateur for too long” he once told me.
What if a fight with Mundine cannot be made? “I will move up and fight Danny Green if he would fight.” (Danny’s wife Nina gave birth to a son, named Archie Malcolm Green, on Saturday morning).
Masoe last fought June, a four round TKO of Thai Denchapon Suwannalird in Brisbane. Manager Thornberry said “We just want to get Mase fights. He has always lived right and keeps himself in good shape. Despite his age, he is still fresh. If we can’t get a shot at Mundine or Green then we would fight Sakio Bika, no problem. He’s there to be hit. A fight between Mase and Sakio would be a last man standing kind of war!”
“A win over Sakio would get him in a position to fight Anthony”.
Does Noel think his shock punching charge is a more dangerous fight than Mundine’s next scheduled opponent, Nader Hamden?
“For one punch power, yes, Mase is dangerous against anyone in the world. That is why we are only interested in chasing the elite like Mundine, Green or Bika. They are the only one’s who would give Mase a fight. I think it’s great that Anthony has given Nader a shot at a world title. Nader’s had fifty fights and has ducked no one. No one can say Nader is soft.”
“There was talk prior to Anthony’s recent defense (against Jose Clavero) that he’d fight Mase but he took a different path, understandable after his eye problem. Now that Anthony looks to be on the mend, and looks to take on tougher opponents, we plead that either he or Danny give a former world champion like Mase, a guy who has paid his dues, another opportunity to win a world title. Mase doesn’t fight for the money, he wants to be world champion again”.
“He will be coming to win.”