By 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.

Povetkin looked as good as a fighter who is facing a punching bag can look. He did what he was supposed to do. Alexander can not be blamed for the mismatch. After all he was facing his WBA mandatory opponent in Rahman. The question boxing observers are asking is where does Povetkin go from here?

When WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO and The Ring heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (58-3, 51 KO’s) won the WBA title in July 2011 by defeating David Haye (26-2, 24 KO’s), he was elevated to “Super” WBA heavyweight champion. Wladimir’s elevation to “Super” WBA heavyweight champion left the “Regular” WBA title vacant. The vacancy was quickly filled when a title fight was held between Povetkin and Rusian Chagaev in August 2011. Povetkin became the “Regular” WBA champion by defeating Chagaev.

So in essence Povetkin got his WBA title belt without ever having to face the dreaded Wladimir Klitschko. Povetkin had been slated to fight “Dr. Steelhammer” in 2010 and failed to show at a press conference which was designed to hype the fight. It was later revealed by Povetkin’s American trainer Teddy Atlas that he pulled the plug on the Klitschko fight because he did not feel that “Sasha” was ready for Wladimir.

Povetkin still has given no indication that he wants to tangle with Wladimir Kltischko and the question boxing pundits are asking is will “Sasha” ever be ready for Klitschko? Last fall when team Klitschko was searching for an opponent for Wladimir no one including Povetkin expressed any interest in taking on the dominant heavyweight champion. Klitschko then received heaps of criticism for taking on Jean-Marc Mormeck. But the truth is that the rest of the heavyweight contenders were in the game of playing hide and seek with Wladimir.