Just looked on my Virgin TV guide. Povetkin's major step up fight after exactly 2 years as a pro vs tricky veteran Larry Donald is on at 9:30 according to the guide.
Povetkin, the 2004 Super Heavy Olympic gold medallist, dominates and has now, as you may all know, been entered in a 4-man IBF tournament to challenge Klitschko.
POVETKIN-DONALD Eurosport 9:30 tonight
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Roars Like Me
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I was impressed. I'd actually got a copy last Monday. Stayed up for the Eurosport anyway.
Good commentary by Holdsworth and Woodhall. Woodhall suggested Povetkin fight Akinwande - would be a good learning fight indeed - and Holdsworth said something like Henry will probably take one punch and hold on for dear life.
Excellent technical skills & fast hands. Povetkin had built a reputation as an exciting finisher. But here, having never gone past 6 rds, he came in with a plan and dominated a veteran with a long reach and an ability to look after himself in there.
Liked the way he slipped the jab, used fake shots to hide the real ones (ie feinting a right and coming in with a double left hook), creating openings when there were none, working the body, leading with left hooks, landing sneaky swift short punches inside. This guy is good - a terrific offensive fighter.
He's going to be the IBF champion. It'll be Wlad-Povetkin late next year and my money's on Povetkin to win the IBF tourney and take down Wlad. A bold pick, but I believe in AP's class.
Good commentary by Holdsworth and Woodhall. Woodhall suggested Povetkin fight Akinwande - would be a good learning fight indeed - and Holdsworth said something like Henry will probably take one punch and hold on for dear life.
Excellent technical skills & fast hands. Povetkin had built a reputation as an exciting finisher. But here, having never gone past 6 rds, he came in with a plan and dominated a veteran with a long reach and an ability to look after himself in there.
Liked the way he slipped the jab, used fake shots to hide the real ones (ie feinting a right and coming in with a double left hook), creating openings when there were none, working the body, leading with left hooks, landing sneaky swift short punches inside. This guy is good - a terrific offensive fighter.
He's going to be the IBF champion. It'll be Wlad-Povetkin late next year and my money's on Povetkin to win the IBF tourney and take down Wlad. A bold pick, but I believe in AP's class.
That is a bold pick, but you know what? With another 12-18 months development for Povetkin, you may not be far wrong. I agree that Povetkin is going to win this IBF tournament though. And a good thing, too. Does anyone really want to see Wlad-Byrd III or Wlad-Brock II? I don't know much about Chambers, but I think Povetkin is going to hammer Byrd, and either Brock or Chambers. I'm really impressed by the Russian.
Povetkin is good but I wouldn't fancy his chances against Wlad just yet. Another 4 or 5 fights perhaps but this tournament could have come too early for him. I really think he will win it but then I don't think he'll be ready for Wlad straight after that. Perhaps he'll squeeze another couple of fights in after winning the tournament before getting the title shot? I read somewhere Wlad is due out again in February, you'd think the tournament will be lucky to have been resolved by then. So the tournament winner is probably looking at middle of next year at the earliest to get a crack. Unless the timescales are set already? I've not seen any.
4 fights sounds fair enough. Win the two elim fights -Byrd and Brock/Chambers - have some kind of tune up or 2 etc. Maybe as Woodhall suggests, an Akinwande sized guy which would be good practise. I like the way Povetkin gets inside - he looks like one of the few heavies who can slip a shot to work in close, where he lets his hands go beautifully.
I agree. But slipping shots at the level he's been fighting at and slipping the jab/left hook and right hand of Wlad are a whole different ballgame altogether. And can he take a big one on the chin? He'd have to be able to take a fair few to beat Wlad I reckon. And we're not going to find that out until he fights either Chambers/Brock or Wlad.
I think he is the blueprint for a Wlad downfall.
Wlad is very good at the long range stuff but we know he can collapse inside. He's got used to measuring fat stationary guys. What he does is very basic (albeit effective). Paw, paw, jab. Jab, jab, jab. Jab, jab....right.
Povetkin is more complex. Feints, unpredictable combos, fluid punching technique, clusters of 2s and 3s.
With Povetkin, already looking mature, being able to close the gap by slipping and stepping in, and by being deceptively fast, a prime Povetkin would be a different story than Wlad's ever read.
That Wlad jab is a push as much as a punch. If Pov can time a right hand over it on that big head, if he can feint his way in to hack away at that body, if he uppercuts before Wlad can tie up, he could well bust him up & wear hm out.
This would be a huge fight. Two Olympic medallists for perhaps the #1 spot at heavyweight (Chagaev and Peter will have an argument, but Wlad is #1 right now).
Wlad is very good at the long range stuff but we know he can collapse inside. He's got used to measuring fat stationary guys. What he does is very basic (albeit effective). Paw, paw, jab. Jab, jab, jab. Jab, jab....right.
Povetkin is more complex. Feints, unpredictable combos, fluid punching technique, clusters of 2s and 3s.
With Povetkin, already looking mature, being able to close the gap by slipping and stepping in, and by being deceptively fast, a prime Povetkin would be a different story than Wlad's ever read.
That Wlad jab is a push as much as a punch. If Pov can time a right hand over it on that big head, if he can feint his way in to hack away at that body, if he uppercuts before Wlad can tie up, he could well bust him up & wear hm out.
This would be a huge fight. Two Olympic medallists for perhaps the #1 spot at heavyweight (Chagaev and Peter will have an argument, but Wlad is #1 right now).
As with Donald, he'll have some defensive jabs to get by vs Byrd. Brock or Chambers will be more offensively minded and another kind of test. Pov looks pretty solid and the more leather thrown at him, the more punching opportunities he has. I love the look of him. Seeing him vs Donald it's hard to believe he's a 2 year pro.nickd wrote:I agree. But slipping shots at the level he's been fighting at and slipping the jab/left hook and right hand of Wlad are a whole different ballgame altogether. And can he take a big one on the chin? He'd have to be able to take a fair few to beat Wlad I reckon. And we're not going to find that out until he fights either Chambers/Brock or Wlad.
I can see the point that this may have come a little too early for Povetkin but i think the standard is so low and the quality so thin that he can afford to be moved quicker than usual. This low level of Heavyweights makes people like Roman Greenberg's pedestrian ascent to the title ( 
) even more unacceptable.
A talent like Povetkin can hold his own with any of the B level Heavies IMO and will soon be ready for the "elite".
) even more unacceptable.A talent like Povetkin can hold his own with any of the B level Heavies IMO and will soon be ready for the "elite".