The upcoming Deontay Wilder-Alexander Povetkin WBC heavyweight title fight will take place at Megasport Arena in Moscow – Povetkin’s promoter, Andrey Ryabinsky has confirmed. Ryabisnky won the purse bidding battle for the fight with a big $7.15 million bid and Wilder, 36-0 (35) will have his sixth pro fight outside of America as a result. A great night is expected in May, with the main event expected to prove both interesting and exciting – with a good under-card of further potential knockouts thrown in.
Russian cards can be great entertainment; with the fights, the light shows, the ring-card girls and the live rock band performances, and the Wilder Vs. Povetkin, 30-1(22) card looks like being no different. As chief support to the main event, cruiserweights Denis Lebedev and Victor Emilio Ramirez will fight in a WBA/IBF unification clash that is sure to be worth watching, while formerly unbeaten KO king Dmitry Kudryashov, 18-1(18) will make his first ring appearance since being upset by Olanrewaju Durodola in November (on a great Russian card that featured plenty of action – including Povetkin’s win over Mariusz Wach and the recently retired Ola Afolabi’s slugfest of a win over Rakhim Chakhkiev, who will also see action on the May 21st card, against a TBA). Kudryashov will likely face fellow slugger Julio Cesar Dos Santos of Brazil, 30-5(27).
The two cruiserweight fights look like ending via a KO, possibly a brutal one, one way or the other (the Kudryashov-Dos Santos scrap especially) and there is no shortage of knowledgeable fight fans who feel either Wilder or Povetkin will win the spoils via a stoppage. Along with these fans, though, are a number who think the main event will go down to the wire. Povetkin has a good chin and has never been stopped, while Wilder is on the crest of a wave and is confident he has the stuff needed to become a great heavyweight champion. Together, the two big men should put on a memorable fight.
Wilder has cut a calm, cool and confident figure going into the toughest test of his career thus far (on paper at least) but the whole event could faze him, just a little bit, on fight night. Wilder, though, has very real punching power and he will believe he can KO Povetkin; just as “The Bronze Bomber” believes he can KO any heavyweight out there today. Wilder will win a ton of respect of he can travel to Russia and come home with his belt.
But on the night of May 21st he could well find some real opposition when it comes to who scores the biggest and best highlight reel KO of the show.