Russia’s Alexander Povetkin had a lot to deal with when he was in the ring challenging for Wladimir Klitschko’s collection of heavyweight titles. The Olympic gold medallist had to cope with Wladimir’s significant advantages in height, reach, weight and physical strength, and Povetkin also had to do his best to come to terms with “Dr. Steel Hammer’s” punching power. To add to these problems, Povetkin had to deal with the champ’s excessive holding, grappling and pushing – these three elements of Klitschko’s game prompting some people to feel the king should have been removed from his throne via disqualification.
But despite all this, Povetkin has called for a rematch with Klitschko. Speaking to The Moscow News today, Povetkin, 26-1(18) said he feels he can improve on last Saturday’s ultimately bruising and frustrating performance.
Puerto Rican legend and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto put two successive points losses behind him last night in blitzing a usually sturdy Delvin Rodriguez, in the process setting himself up for further massive fights. Cotto, now working with the great Freddie Roach, looked like a beast last night: strong, fast, powerful and full of energy, Cotto absolutely ruined a good fighter.
Having just read another article on heavyweight punching legend Earnie Shavers (this fascinating piece on Ringtv.com), I wanted to put up my own piece on “The Acorn,” a man who was once dubbed “The Puncher of The Century.”
Unbeaten KO artist Deontay Wilder will face experienced big guy Nicolai Firtha in his next pro outing, on the Bernard Hopkins-Karo Murat under-card at The Barclays Centre New York on October 26th.
David Haye and Tyson Fury will now meet on February 8th of next year, various media reports have confirmed. The fight, postponed due to Haye suffering a cut eye in sparring, will still take place at The Phones 4U Arena in Manchester.
As fans have no doubt read by now, heavyweight legend and former world champion Ken Norton passed away earlier today. The magnificently conditioned former U.S Marine, most famous for his three epic fights with Muhammad Ali, suffered a stroke last year and had been in poor health since. Today, fans and former champions everywhere are sending out messages of condolence to Norton’s family.
Most experts are agreed: tomorrow night’s Floyd Mayweather-Saul Alvarez fight will go the distance and Mayweather will win. But could “The One” wind up being a draw? Of course it COULD, but will it?
(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) It could be said that the form book will very much be obeyed on Saturday night in Las Vegas, that the expected fighters will emerge victorious and that all fight fans who pointed out the obvious before it went down will be made to look like know-it-alls as a result. Indeed, most people think Floyd Mayweather will out-point Canelo Alvarez, that Lucas Matthysse will have too much power for Danny Garcia and that there will, by and large, be no shocks inside a buzzing MGM Grand.