Povetkin Retires

[Ruthless-RKO]

Alexander Povetkin, 41, Retires; Former HW Champ Also Captured Olympics Gold

Alexander Povetkin has decided to call it a career.

The 41-year-old former heavyweight champion and 2004 Olympics gold medal winner announced his retirement during a news conference in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday.

"The years take their toll," said Povetkin. "I have all kinds of injuries that still need to be treated. The time has come for me to end my career."

Povetkin, once a successful amateur kickboxer, had been a professional boxer since 2005 and amassed a record of 36 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw during a 40-fight run that featured him fighting some of the top names in the division.

The 6-foot-2 fighter Russian pulverized plenty of durable opponents, but suffered blemishes against Wladimir Klitschko in 2013, Anthony Joshua in 2018 and Dillian Whyte earlier this year.

Povetkin captured the only world title of his career in 2011, a vacant WBA crown against Ruslan Chagaev.

Povetkin defended the title four times against the likes of Cedric Boswell, Marco Huck, Hasim Rahman and Andrzej Wawrzyk before losing the belt in a landslide decision to Klitschko in 2013 after he was dropped four times.

Povetkin's past was also mired in controversy when he twice tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in an eight-month span in 2016. At the time, he was the WBC mandatory challenger for then-champion Deontay Wilder. The development caused a cancellation for their fight and a $250,000 fine for Povetkin.

After the Klitschko loss, Povetkin reeled off eight-consecutive wins against the likes of Carlos Takam, Mahmoud Charr and Mariusz Wach and landed an opportunity to fight Joshua, but he suffered a seventh-round TKO in the fight.

After decisioning Hughie Fury and having to settle for a split draw with Michael Hunter in 2019, Povetkin’s final two fights against Dillian Whyte were arguably the most memorable of his 16-year career.

In their 2020 meeting, Povetkin was knocked down twice in the fourth round but bounced back up and scored a comeback, knockout-of-the-year contender in the fifth when he landed a vicious uppercut and finished Whyte.

The thrilling fight warranted a rematch in March, but Whyte proved he was too powerful for his rival, dropping and stopping Povetkin in the fourth.

The bout proved to be Povetkin’s final one as a pugilist.

[Enlightened-One]

Povetkin was a warrior. He's bowed out of the sport at the right time.

[DrDuke]

Povetkin is a one of my favorite fighters ever. I have been following his career since the Olympics. Those were overall my first years of being a boxing fan.

He was popular here in Russia since the Olympics obviously, so it was easy to follow his career. I watched almost every fight of his early track on local cable TV, then his fights gradually moved to the big Russian TV channels.

So, for me his career was highly memorable. Some really good and bad memories about it, which means all of them were thrilling.

I can remember been super excited about him crushing journeymen early on. I can remember a frustration about his career in late 2000s and early 2010s, when he began to be tracked too safe. I can remember the super frustration with the Klitschko bout. I can remember a new belief in Povetkin after he teamed up with Kirpa. I remember being pissed off with the Wilder affair, I was confident about Povetkin KOing Wilder the f*ck out. I was excited with the last part of his career. He only should have retired without the Whyte rematch, after getting corona.

His resume is damn good, he had a number of great fights, win or lose. Huck, Chagaev, Takam, Price, Joshua, Whyte and many more. There's some stuff to be remembered.

It's only a bit disappointing, that he didn't became a champion in the era, when John Ruiz, Valuev, Charles Martin and Joe Parker could have such privilege. On the other hand, belts are so disvalued today.

So, good times in retirement to Sasha!

[gilgamesh]

Good call to call it a career now. He was always a tough out even in his defeats. Exciting fighter. He might miss you several times, but when you get hit boy you know you've been hit.

I wish him well in his retirement.

[margaret thatcher]

good career, but did nothing to match luis ortiz's win oveer tony thompson

[gilgamesh]

good career, but did nothing to match luis ortiz's win oveer tony thompson

[Fightnight Scores]

Good career and definitely the right time to retire.

[nmhz]

Also one of my all time favorites. Great skill level and a solid resume. Hope he will enjoy retirement!

[Ruthless-RKO]

[bobcatbox]

Happy retirement to the thick fella from up north. He could really box.

[Thomastearns]

"I have all kinds of injuries that still need to be treated."



Well done champ!

You might also want to write down your words because once these injuries have finally healed you might start getting second thoughts.

[ironbeard]

Povetkin is a one of my favorite fighters ever. I have been following his career since the Olympics. Those were overall my first years of being a boxing fan.

He was popular here in Russia since the Olympics obviously, so it was easy to follow his career. I watched almost every fight of his early track on local cable TV, then his fights gradually moved to the big Russian TV channels.

So, for me his career was highly memorable. Some really good and bad memories about it, which means all of them were thrilling.

I can remember been super excited about him crushing journeymen early on. I can remember a frustration about his career in late 2000s and early 2010s, when he began to be tracked too safe. I can remember the super frustration with the Klitschko bout. I can remember a new belief in Povetkin after he teamed up with Kirpa. I remember being pissed off with the Wilder affair, I was confident about Povetkin KOing Wilder the f*ck out. I was excited with the last part of his career. He only should have retired without the Whyte rematch, after getting corona.

His resume is damn good, he had a number of great fights, win or lose. Huck, Chagaev, Takam, Price, Joshua, Whyte and many more. There's some stuff to be remembered.

It's only a bit disappointing, that he didn't became a champion in the era, when John Ruiz, Valuev, Charles Martin and Joe Parker could have such privilege. On the other hand, belts are so disvalued today.

So, good times in retirement to Sasha!

Well said.

[candyslim]

I will miss him. He was a tough, skilled and entertaining warrior.

He would fight anyone, didn't brag about his accomplishments, and took his defeats like a man without whining or making excuses.

How I wish he were just starting out now.