Haye and Povetkin both interested in facing Andrzej Wawrzyk next

povetkin334By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten heavyweight contender Andrzej Wawrzyk (27-0, 13 KO’s) finds himself very much in demand with WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) and former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (26-2, 24 KO’s) both wanting to fight him next, according to fightnews.com.

The 6’5” Wawrzyk will likely agree to face whichever fighter gives him the bigger offer. You would assume that it might be Povetkin given that he’s a world champion, but Wawrzyk, #7 WBA, #14 WBC, isn’t a mandatory challenger, so the money that he would get for a title shot against Povetkin wouldn’t be nearly as good as it would be if he were the mandatory challenger. Haye might be able to get Wawrzyk if he can guarantee him a bigger payday.

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Povetkin to fight on May 17th in tune-up to get ready for Wladimir

povetkin2323By Eric Thomas: WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) will be fighting a tune-up bout on May 17th against an opponent still to be determined to get him ready for a big fight against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in a fight that will take place no longer than August.

According to resport.ru, the 33-year-old Povetkin will be facing a big heavyweight with height near that of the 6’6” Wladimir in order to get Povetkin as ready as possible to face the big Ukrainian. The trick is to find someone nearly as big as Wladimir but without the same talent because if they pick someone too good, Povetkin will likely lose.

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Klitschko and Povetkin finally about to fight

klitschko123By Eric Thomas: Unless IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50 KO’s) is somehow able to wriggle out of it, he’s going to have to face WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) before February 26th or else he’ll likely be stripped of his WBA Super World heavyweight title. The World Boxing Associated ordered that Wladimir has to face Povetkin by February 26th, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be able to avoid the fight.

Wladimir’s manager Bernd Boente thought that Wladimir had until July to face Povetkin, so they’re going to see if it’s possible to wait until then before having to fight him. That’s not much of a difference to be honest, and if it matters that much that Wladimir has to put off the Povetkin fight for a mere three months then you have to wonder if there’s some worry in Klitschko’s camp about this fight.

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WBA orders Klitschko-Povetkin bout; deadline for fight February 26th

povetkin3By Allan Fox: WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) and his promotional company Sauerland Events are pretty happy right now after learning that the World Boxing Association has ordered IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50 KO’s) to being negotiations with Povetkin’s promoters for a fight that must take place by February 26th, 2013.

Klitschko reportedly had already been told by the WBA that the winner of his fight with David Haye last year in July, and the winner of the Povetkin vs. Ruslan Chagaev fight have to meet up in fight within 18 months. That time is up on February 26th, 2013.

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WBA gives Wladimir until 2/27 to fight Povetkin

Image: WBA gives Wladimir until 2/27 to fight PovetkinBy Dan Ambrose: The World Boxing Association is giving IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (58-3, 50 KO’s) until February 27th to defend his title against WBA World regular heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s), according to fightnews.com. However, a fight between Wladimir and Povetkin likely won’t happen until next summer in July because Wladimir could possibly ask for a delay in taking the fight so that Wladimir can fight other guys.

It’s unclear why Wladimir would opt to push a Povetkin fight into the future because it’s not as if Wladimir has been fighting anyone interesting lately. Since beating David Haye last year in July, Wladimir has had two dull fights against Jean Marc Mormeck and Tony Thompson. Now, Wladimir is fighting yet another over-matched and less than popular opponent in Mariusz Wach next month on November 10th, and few boxing fans want to see this fight other than Wladimir’s diehard fans and Wach’s loyal Polish fans. Wladimir’s options for appealing fights are limited.

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Povetkin wants no part of Klitschko

Image: Povetkin wants no part of KlitschkoBy John F. McKenna (McJack): Regular WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) scored an easy 2nd round TKO win over former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) last night in Germany. It was clear almost before the opening bell sounded that the 39 year old Rahman was not up for what was in store for him. To say that Hasim was not anxious for the hostilities to begin would be an understatement as he appeared to have trouble with his entry into the ring.

Rahman’s claim to fame is his KO victory over undisputed world champion Lennox Lewis. But that was eleven years ago in 2001 and Hasim is nowhere near the fighter he was the night he stopped Lewis. Rahman was clearly not in shape and it begs one to wonder why he was ever made a mandatory challenger for Povetkin. To be sure “Sasha” did not appear to be in the best of shape either, but he did not have to be for the opponent he faced last night.

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Povetkin: I’ll fight Wladimir when I’m told

Image: Povetkin: I'll fight Wladimir when I'm toldBy Allan Fox: WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) did a demolition job on the World Boxing Organization’s latest completely lost mandatory in 39-year-old Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) in a 2nd round knockout at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Rahman never hit the canvas in the fight but was staggered on two occasions and took a lot of punishment agaisnt the ropes before the fight was stopped by the referee in the 2nd round.

After the fight, Povetkin said “I’m ready [to fight IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko]. I’ll fight him if I’m told. If the Klitschko bout is confirmed, I’ll start preparing.”

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Wladimir doubts Povetkin will fight him now

Image: Wladimir doubts Povetkin will fight him nowBy Sean McDaniel: Earlier tonight, WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) took care of business in destroying Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) in a 2nd round TKO in Hamburg, Germany in one of Povetkin’s most easiest fights since stopping Patrice L’Heureux in the 2nd round in 2007. The with the horrible mismatch between Povetkin and Rahman now out of the way, the question on the minds of many boxing fans is who will Povetkin be fighting next.

Sports Illustrated is reporting that Povetkin’s manager Chris Meyer is saying that the WBA will be calling for a mandatory fight between WBA Super World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and Povetkin, the WBA World heavyweight champion, by February 27th of next year. However, Wladimir doubts that Povetkin really wants to fight him, telling Sports Illustrated writer Chris Mannix “Right. Where was he before? Please.”

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Rahman gets smashed by Povetkin: Where now for Hasim?

Image: Rahman gets smashed by Povetkin: Where now for Hasim?By Allan Fox: In a truly sad fight, former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) was completely obliterated by WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) in a 2nd round TKO loss on Saturday night at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany. Povetkin had Rahman on Bambi legs in the 1st round from a right hand, and then hurt him again in the 2nd with a left to head. A badly hurt Rahman was then snowed under with power shots from Povetkin until referee Gustavo Padilla stepped in to stop the fight at 1:46 with Rahman clutching the ropes with one hand.

This fight was really bad, as Rahman never was competitive from the start. Rahman never really let his hands go for some reason and spent most of the fight jabbing and taking heavy shots from Povetkin. Rahman made Povetkin look a lot a much bigger puncher than he really is, and it’s strange because Rahman used to be able to take big shots from far better punchers than Povetkin. Rahman took the best shots from David Tua in his two fights with.

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Povetkin destroys Rahman; Pulev KOs Ustinov; Culcay destroys Thompson

Image: Povetkin destroys Rahman; Pulev KOs Ustinov; Culcay destroys ThompsonBy Jim Dower: WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17 KO’s) easily took care of 39-year-old Hasim Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KO’s) in the 2nd round TKO tonight at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Povetkin hurt Rahman badly with a left hook to the head in the 2nd and then flurried on him until referee Gustavo Padilla stepped in and stopped the fight at 1:46 of the round.

This fight really made the World Boxing Association look bad for their decision to rank Rahman as #1 WBA contender for Povetkin off of a handful of wins over poor 3rd tier heavyweights. Rahman did not belong in the same ring with Povetkin and we saw that clearly in the 1st round when Povetkin staggered Rahman with a right hand to the head. It looked like Povetkin could have finished Rahman off right then and there, but he held back and fought cautiously for the remainder of the round. I think Povetkin could have easily have stopped Rahman in the 1st if he applied himself because Rahman was there for the taking and looked unsteady.

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