Rahman-Povetkin & Pulev-Ustinov tonight in Germany

Image: Rahman-Povetkin & Pulev-Ustinov tonight in GermanyBy Jason Kim: Tonight, unbeaten and untested WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) defends his title against former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany. On the undercard, heavyweights Alexander Ustinov (27-0, 21 KO’s) battles EBU heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev (16-0, 8 KO’s) for his European Boxing Union title in an IBF heavyweight eliminator bout with the winner becoming the mandatory contender to IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Rahman, 39, feels like he’s got enough left in the tank to pull of a knockout victory over Povetkin. However, it doesn’t look likely that Rahman will be able to do this because it’s been so many years since he beat his last quality opponent. He’s ranked #1 by the WBA, but he’s not stayed relevant by facing the best heavyweights since losing to Wladimir in a failed title shot in 2008. The sad part about the sanctioning bodies is that guys like Rahman are often pushed to the very top of the division despite having facing nothing but poor opposition in the last four years.

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Rahman vs. Povetkin & Pulev vs. Ustinov: Two good heavyweight fights tomorrow

Image: Rahman vs. Povetkin & Pulev vs. Ustinov: Two good heavyweight fights tomorrow(Picture: Photo Wende) By Jason Kim: On Saturday night in Germany, WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) defends his title against Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) in a potentially interesting fight matching mediocre heavyweight champion in the 33-year-old Povetkin facing the 39-year-old past his best Rahman.

At Friday’s weigh-in, both Rahman and Povetkin looked kind of chubby with Povetkin weighing in at 229 pounds, two pounds heavier than he was for his last fight agaisnt Marco Huck last February. Povetkin really gassed out in that fight due to the excess weight he was carrying around. Povetkin was supposedly working on his weight to trim it down some so that he’d not gasp for oxygen nonstop, but I’m not sure what happened to him. Povetkin looks like he’s been training on three giant helpings of spaghetti and meatballs daily instead of trimming down for this fight.

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Rahman: I feel like the cards are stacked against me

Image: Rahman: I feel like the cards are stacked against me(Photo: Team Sauerland) By Allan Fox: Former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) feels like he’s invisible going into this Saturday’s fight against WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Rahman thinks he’s being overlooked and thinks he’s in the position where he’ll have to get a knockout in order to win the fight.

Rahman said “I don’t plan being in there long. I feel like the cards are stacked against me. That’s why I’m going to knock him out.”

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Rahman looking to stop Povektin on Saturday

Image: Rahman looking to stop Povektin on SaturdayBy Jason Kim: Former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) knows what he has to do to beat WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) on Saturday night and that’s to knock him out when they meet at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany. Rahman, 39, has gotten older, he’s put on a lot weight and lost a lot of what little speed he once had, but he can still punch like he did in his prime. The power is still there.

If you were to point to one area in the 33-year-old Povetkin’s game where he’s vulnerable, besides his conditioning, you’d have to say it’s his chin. Povetkin was staggered in his last fight by WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck, who moved up from cruiserweight to face Povtkin last February. If a cruiserweight like Huck had enough power to hurt Povetkin, then an eve bigger puncher like Rahman has more than enough power to do the same if not more.

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Pulev faces Ustinov; Rahman takes on Povetkin on Saturday

By Jim Dower: A pair of unbeaten European heavyweights will square off on Saturday night in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator bout for the #1 spot between unbeaten Alexander Ustinov (27-0, 21 KO’s) and ex-Olympian from the 2008 Olympics Kubrat Pulev (16-0, 8 KO’s) at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany. The Pulev-Ustinov fight will be the co-main event on the undercard of the heavyweight clash between WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin vs. Hasim Rahman. Also on the card will be light middleweight Jack Culcay facing Mark Thompson.

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Rahman looking to capture Povetkin’s WBA title on September 29th

Image: Rahman looking to capture Povetkin's WBA title on September 29thBy Jason Kim: Former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) is hoping he can capture another world title on September 29th against WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) at the Sporthalle, Alterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany. Rahman, 39, has had a dry spell for a while since losing his World Boxing Council heavyweight title to Oleg Maskaev by a 12th round TKO six years ago in 2006.

Rahman got another shot two years later against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2008, but was overmatched by the tall 6’6″ Ukrainian’s size, speed and power and ended up folding in the 7th round of a one-sided fight. To Rahman’s credit, he hasn’t lost a fight since then beating his last five opponents all by knockouts.

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Rahman could beat Povetkin if he’s got anything left in the tank

By Jason Kim: 39-year-old former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) is being given a shot at the title against WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) on September 29th at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Rahman is going to have to take advantage of this title shot opportunity because it might not come around again unless he starts fighting better opposition.

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Rahman a real threat to Povetkin

By Jason Kim: WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s) may find himself surprised at just how much former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahmam (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) has left in the tank when they meet on September 29th at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, in Hamburg, Germany.

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Sauerland: Povetkin could face Wladimir Klitschko in early 2013

Image: Sauerland: Povetkin could face Wladimir Klitschko in early 2013By Jason Kim: Kalle Sauerland, the promoter for WBA World heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO’s), is saying that the 32-year-old Povetkin could finally face IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in early 2013 if Povetkin can successfully defend his title against 39-year-old Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO’s) next month on September 29th at the Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany.

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