Even Wladimir Klitschko's (60-3, 51 KO) harshest critic must acknowledge that the heavyweight champion of the world is constantly looking for challenges. Klitschko chases "big fights" as vehemently as any long-standing champion over the last five years in the sport. He's faced every heavyweight of note during his seven-plus year reign as champ.
The only issue has been the lack of formidable opponents in his weight class. This is arguably the weakest era the heavyweight division has seen in the sport's history. Because that is a perception, Klitschko's dominance hasn't translated to the respect you'd expect for such a gaudy record.
One man most in the boxing community give a realistic shot to push Klitschko is his opponent on Saturday in Moscow. WBA champion Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KO) is young, powerful and skilled as a boxer. Could he be the man to knock Wladimir off his pedestal?
The clash between the two men has been a fight in the making for a while, but it has been rescheduled twice, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.
With nothing aside from an unprecedented circumstance to impede the process, the two men will finally clash on Saturday. Here's how you can watch.
The Book on Klitschko
Insatiable Desire to Be Great
It is clear Klitschko wants to be considered great, but he can only fight the men that are available. He dismantled David Haye; he's blown through recycled contenders like Tony Thompson on more than one occasion.
In many ways, Klitschko is using expensive paints on construction paper and hoping to have his work deemed a masterpiece. Wladimir clearly uses the criticism as motivation. This tweet comes from Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko's Twitter account:
It is unfair to him as it takes a trained and impartial eye to appreciate what he's accomplished considering the low-level competition. No matter what happens on Saturday, Klitschko's level of greatness will be one of the most debated subjects in the sport for years.
The Book on Povetkin
Is He the Giant Slayer?
Povetkin will be trying to slay a giant in stature as well as accomplishments on Saturday. Klitschko is measured at 6'6" while Povetkin is a rather short heavyweight at 6'2". Even though Povetkin owns a title and some notoriety in boxing circles, it is nothing compared to what Klitschko has accomplished in the sport.
If he can indeed defeat Klitschko, he will have scored one of the biggest victories the division has seen in decades.
Keys to Victory and Prediction
What Klitschko Must Do to Win
Length will be Klitschko's best asset. Povetkin is not a stiff like many of the fighters Klitschko has faced in his title reign. The 34-year-old Russian moves decently and has quick hands.
Klitschko must establish his jab early to take the steam out of Povetin's legs and his punches. If Klitschko gets the jab going early, the only thing he'll have to guard against is complacency. He'll be able to ride his money punch to another victory.
What Povetkin Must Do to Win
It is hard to imagine a scenario where Povetkin can outpoint Klitschko. If he is landing enough to outbox him, he'll likely connect with the power shots to put Klitschko down. I'm still not the biggest believer in Wladimir's chin.
In order for Povetkin to get inside Klitschko's 81" reach, he'll need to employ more head movement than he has in the past. If you look at Povetkin's win over Hasim Rahman in 2012, Rahman was landing the jab with regularity before he was stopped.
Povetkin must slip these punches and make Klitschko pay by throwing counter combinations. He is one of the best combination punchers in the heavyweight division. This skill is part of what gives him a shot against Klitschko.
Prediction
If Rahman landed his jab consistently, imagine how often Klitschko will find Povetkin's face with his pacesetter. All it takes is one hard counter to change the night for Povetkin, but I don't see him having the necessary head movement to avoid Klitschko's jab.
Wladimir will continue to roll with a sixth-round TKO victory.
Follow me for musings on boxing, MMA, the WWE, the NBA and sports video games.
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment