HBO finalizing Wladimir Klitschko – Alexander Povetkin deal to air fight live in U.S

09/15/201608/01/2013 Bill Phanco

KlitschkoBanks001_PublicAddress HBO is working to finalize a deal to show the October 5th fight between IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (60-3, 51 KO’s) and WBA champion Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KO’s) live in the United States, according to Dan Rafael. If HBO can swing this, it will be a big deal for American boxing fans, because they don’t get to see too many fights of the Klitschkos anymore.

HBO is selective in which fights of the Klitschkos they televise in the U.S, and rightfully so with Wladimir facing the likes Jean Marc Mormeck, Francesco Pianeta, and Mariusz Wach in the past two years. If HBO had aired any of those mismatches, it would have likely brought in poor ratings.

Roach to train Povetkin for Wladimir fight

07/02/2013 Jeff Sorby

roach45 Trainer Freddie Roach will be taking over the reins to train WBA “regular” heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KO’s) for his October 5th fight against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (60-3, 51 KO’s), according to Steve Kim.

Klitschko and Povetkin will be fighting in the 33-year-old Povetkin’s home country of Russia in Moscow at the Olimpiyskiy. Whether that’ll be any kind of an advantage for Povetkin remains to be seen. Having Roach as his trainer could help Povetkin, because Roach knows about many of Wladimir’s weaknesses in having watched him fight many times in the past.

Povetkin will likely be a huge underdog in this fight no matter who trains him. If nothing else, Roach should be able to give Povetkin enough training advice so that he’ll be competitive.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin set for October 5, in Moscow

07/03/201307/02/2013 ESB

IBF/IBO Heavyweight Champion, WBO/WBA Heavyweight Super Champion and „The Ring Magazine“ World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko will meet with WBA “regular” Heavyweight Champion Alexander Povetkin at the SC Olimpiyskiy arena in Moscow (Russia) on October 5.

After extended negotiations an agreement for one of the most eagerly awaited world boxing bouts between two Olympic and reigning heavyweight champions has finally been reached.

For 37-year-old Wladimir Klitschko it is the second appearance in the boxing ring in 2013. In his last fight in May he defeated Francesco Pianeta by TKO 6. The professional record of the 1996 Olympic Gold medalist is 60 wins (52 KOs) with only 3 losses. It will be Klitschko’s 24rd World Championship fight.

Wladimir Klitschko Wants The Contract Signed, But States Team Povetkin Has Issues

07/22/201906/04/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

“The contract has not yet been signed because there are still too many not agreed upon clauses in the contract. At this moment there are still too many questions, to which team Povetkin has no answers. All the answers from our side have already been taken care of. There is good communication between us, but when it comes to the official talk, all of a sudden there are questions. I hope that we can solve all the issues and finally sign the contract. If not, we will move forward without Povetkin,” stated Wladimir Klitschko.

I am assuming that the questions and issues that Wladimir is referring to are the drug testing and the financial agreement. Of course K2 promotions is looking to get the bigger cut of the money pie, as they should. The drug testing issue also has numerous ways of being solved, ways that would clearly work for both sides. So what is holing up the fight? Is one side trying to avoid fighting the other?

Klitschko-Povetkin could fall apart over drug testing

06/03/201306/02/2013 Jeff Sorby

wlad53 IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko may pull out of his October 5th fight with WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin unless the two can come together and agree on the drug testing for their fight at the Olimpiyskiy in Moscow, Russia.

Povetkin wants the drug testing for the fight to be done by a Russian drug testing agency; whereas Wladimir wants it to be conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency [NADA], which is a German drug testing agency.

Oleg Maskaev talks Povetkin vs. Klitschko

06/02/201305/29/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

Oleg Maskaev has been in boxing for quite some time, and is one of the very few seasoned Russian heavyweight champions in the recent past. In a recent interview he talked about Alexander Povetkin vs. Wladimir Klitschko, and had said some very interesting things.

Klitschko vs. Pianeta: Wladimir in stay busy fight on May 4th in Mannheim, Germany

04/07/2013 Kevin Chittenden

wlad3 IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50 KO’s) has decided to squeeze in what should be an easy stay busy fight against unbeaten challenger Francesco Pianeta (28-0-1, 15 KO’s) on May 4th at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany.

This is a tune-up of sorts for the 37-year-old Wladimir to get ready for his fight against WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin for who Wladimir must face by the end of August according to the World Boxing Association rules.

The Klitschko Craft – a proven formula for success

03/28/201303/27/2013 Andrew Picken

Love them or hate them the Klitschko’s demand respect. With the rumours surrounding Vitali’s inevitable exit to pursue his political ambitions in the Ukraine let’s forget the critics and examine why they have ruled the Heavyweight division so consistently since Lewis’s retirement. Comparisons will inevitably be made at how these two brothers would fare in a different heavyweight era, but the fact of the matter remains these guys remain at the top of their game for a reason, or rather reasons.

Despite the obvious physical attributes the Klitschkos bring to the ring, what really sets them apart from other contenders is there in fight intelligence and to a greater degree there out of ring intelligence. First of all let’s take a brief look at their fight strategies. It’s been well documented by many commentators and observers that the Klitschkos like to stay behind that ram rod like jab. They are comfortable at range, they have control and can dictate the pace.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Francesco Pianeta on May 4th in Mannheim, Germany

02/28/201302/27/2013 ESB

By Jeff Sorby: It looks like IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50 KO’s) has decided to defend his title against the unbeaten sleepy-eyed Francesco Pianeta (28-0-1, 15 KO’s) on May 4th at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany.

This is an optional title defense for the 36-year-old Wladimir, so it was a given that he was going to face a weak opponent, but it seems like Wladimir’s last three title defenses have been optional because the opponents have been so weak. Pianeta, #9 WBO, #12 WBA, is technically undefeated, but his resume is incredibly poor and without one quality opponent among his 28 victories.

A Period of Transition in the Heavyweight Division

02/19/201302/19/2013 ESB

547 By Michael Montero – This Saturday will be an important one in the heavyweight landscape, featuring big step up bouts for prospects from three different parts of the world. In Huntington, New York, American Malik Scott (35-0) faces Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov (14-0), while on the other side of the pond; Englishman David Price (15-0) squares off against American veteran Tony Thompson (36-3) in Liverpool. For Scott, a pro since 2000 who’s been ridiculed for never stepping up, it’s the moment of truth. For Glazkov, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing games, this is his second straight bout on American airwaves and easily the biggest test in his short pro career. And for Price, the 6’8” giant (himself a former bronze medalist), an empathic win over Thompson puts him on the fast track for an eventual title shot.

This is a microcosm of things to come. Things are changing in the heavyweight division. New history is being written, yet old history is being repeated. It’s all part of a cycle: weak, average and strong eras – with the occasional golden era sprinkled in every few generations – only to collapse and repeat again. One could argue that the years following Lennox Lewis’ retirement were an average era, with quality fighters like Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Hasim Rahman, Andrew Golota, both Klitschkos and several others, but no clear owner of the division. In recent years we’ve suffered through a weak era, with the Klitschko brothers having cleaned out the entire division and seemingly no willing, proven, legitimate challenge for the alpha dogs. Yet things are shaping up to start getting pretty damn interesting over the next few years, and fans all over the world are getting excited.