Oleg Maskaev must have been salivating at the thought.

Samuel Peter, considered a big favorite over Maskaev before the champion pulled out of their fight with a back injury last month, nearly got knocked out himself last night in Madison Square Garden when he was knocked down three times by late replacement Jameel McCline.

Peter rebounded well though to capture a unanimous decision by scores of 115-110, 115-111 and 113-112.

"If Peter had gotten hit by Oleg like that he never would've got up to see the next round," Maskaev manager Fred Kesch said afterwards.

Don King, Peter's co-promoter along with Dino Duva, appeared eager to have their charge fight Maskaev next.

King claimed that Maskaev suffered from "the Russian back disease," a reference to Maskaev and Vitali Klitschko's recent back injuries.

"This is a very painful and addictive disease," King said. "I just hope he gets this disease fixed."

"Peter's going to take a couple of months off," King said. "He's going to back to Africa. He has an opportunity to represent the continent of Africa, even if he originates from Nigeria.

"His next fight will be here (Madison Square Garden) hopefully against Oleg Maskaev."

"Anybody," was the simple answer Peter provided when asked who he wanted to fight next. "I'll be ready in two months. I train hard and I believe in God."

"This was a great night of boxing," Duva said.

"Who ever was here was able to witness the beginning of a new era-the Samuel Peter era."

Maskaev promoter Dennis Rappaport however, refused to buy into the hype.

"I thought Peter was exactly what I said he was," Rappaport told Fightnews directly after the fight. "He's a very ordinary fighter. This guy isn't Superman and technically he's no super boxer."

Maskaev, 34-5, 27 KO's is expected back in the gym in approximately four weeks. Kesch and Rappaport remained optimistic that the fight against Peter could be rescheduled for early-2008.

McCline meanwhile was visibly disappointed at the bout's conclusion.

"I wasn't happy with my performance," he said directly afterwards.

"I could've finished him, I should've finished him and I didn't. I thought I had him."

McCline, now 0-4 in title shots, sees his overall ledger drop to 38-8-3 with 23 KO's.