by James Slater – 23-year-old Nagy Aguilera made a name for himself last night, in smashing former WBC heavyweight ruler Oleg Maskaev to shock defeat inside a round, and as such the fighter from the Dominican Republic has fans talking about him. How good is the man who improved to 15-2(10)? How far can he go on the world stage?
Though he fully deserves all credit that comes his way due to the upset he scored over “The Big O,” Aguilera’s win must be put in some sort or perspective.. Maskaev is 40 years of age, he has a history of being stopped in the early going of fights, and he has been plagued by injuries in recent times. Jumping on him early, Aguilera did what some other fighters did to Maskaev a few years back, and took him out. We still don’t know how the 23-year-old’s chin will hold up against a world class fighter, because Maskaev never landed anything on him – he didn’t have the chance! Neither do we know how Aguilera’s power will fare against an elite fighter.
Beaten twice as a pro – by Marcellus Brown (DQ’d in the 8th round back in Dec. of last year and on via a split decision by Darrel Madison this July) – Aguilera has been learning his trade. And, having been a pro for just a little over two years, it’s obvious the man has talent. Maskaev aside, there are no big names on the 6’3,” approx 230-pounder’s record, but time is hugely on Nagy’s side.
23 is very young for a heavyweight, yet already Aguilera has made an impact. What next for him, then? Maskaev, had he won last night, would have fought Ray Austin in a final WBC heavyweight title fight eliminator. It remains to be seen if Aguilera will now get the bout with “The Rain Man.” If he does, and if he can beat the experienced former world title challenger, Aguilera will have claimed another fine win for himself. But no way should he be put in with the likes of a Vitali Klitschko just yet.
There is absolutely no need to rush Aguilera, and it could – perhaps should – be years before his team think about putting him in with a reigning heavyweight champion. However, due to the way his confidence is sure to be surging right now, it might prove tough holding Aguilera back. More seasoning is defintely what’s in order, though.
There could well be some good fights out there that can be made for the fast-handed, thus far reliably-chinned contender, and if he can win them, Aguilera could move into the top-ten rankings in the coming months. A return with southpaw Madison, who has yet to fight again after his win New York State heavyweight title fight win over Aguilera, would be a good idea. Then, if he could avenge his only real defeat, Nagy could go in with an Austin or a guy of the calibre of, say, an Alonzo Butler, a Fres Oquendo, a Dominick Guinn or an Oliver McCall.
Despite the win over Maskaev, as good as it was, it’s still too early to get too excited about Aguilera. But if he keeps on winning, keeps on improving and is able to get some more decent names on his record, Nagy could become a real heavyweight to watch over the next few years.