Wladimir Klitschko (60-3, 51 KOs) will go down as the one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time regardless of the result of Saturday's title fight against undefeated Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KOs) in Moscow.
But fear not, the 37-year-old champion won't suffer his first loss in nine years when he steps inside the ring against the 2004 Olympic gold medalist. Instead, the younger Klitschko brother will cement his remarkable legacy by earning a convincing victory.
With 63 professional fights under his belt, Klitschko has seen and experienced it all. He's fought in nearly two dozen title fights and has successfully defended his championship belts time and again over the years.
He also has twice as many rounds of experience as Povetkin.
As far as his matchup with Povetkin is concerned, Klitschko has a significant height and size advantage. He's four inches taller than the Russian challenger and 16 pounds heavier. And by looking at images from the pre-fight weight-in, Klitschko's extra weight is more muscle than fat, per Tom Loeffler, via Twitter:
Despite the physical advantages, Klitschko's technical skill is what will ultimately make the difference in this fight. His left jab has been dangerous throughout his career, and if Povetkin tries to come in early, he'll be an easy target for Klitschko's powerful right.
Klitschko's superior height will come in handy defensively, limiting the effectiveness of Povetkin's strikes.
The Russian will have some advantages of his own. He'll have the crowd on his side in Moscow, and he's obviously taken less punishment inside the ring, having fought in just 26 professional fights. Unfortunately, the crowd won't be landing any jabs to Klitschko's chin on Saturday, and Povetkin will have to execute his aggressive game plan to near perfection in order to overcome the champion.
It's a tall task for Povetkin, and while he certainly possesses the skill to hang around through the early rounds, in the end, he's poised to succumb to the superior boxing and athleticism of his greatest opponent yet.
For Wladimir Klitschko, the victory would reaffirm his legendary status and put him in position to surpass Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis on the all-time list of most heavyweight title fights won.
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