Why Alexander Povetkin gained more in defeat in loss to Klitschko

The journey to a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship has been a long one for Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin. Povetkin, who was unbeaten in twenty-six professional fights leading up to his fight with unified Heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko had held interim/regular status in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings for more than two years. Povetkin earned that status with a hard-fought victory over former WBA Heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev in August 2011.

Since his win over Chagaev, Povetkin has faced stern tests over opponents such as longtime contender Cedric Boswell and WBO Cruiserweight champion Marco Huck. Povetkin has also at times shown he can be dominant as he was in his fights against former two-time Heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman and previously undefeated contender Andrzej Wawrzyk in bouts where Povetkin scored quick knockouts.

The run of twenty-six straight wins put Povetkin in position to challenge Wladimir Klitschko for the unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO crown. One may argue that this fight was one that had been several years in the making. Most boxing fans will remember that Povetkin was in line to challenge Klitschko in 2009 as a mandatory challenger. It was Povetkin’s then trainer Teddy Atlas however, who would not put Povetkin in the ring with Klitschko. Atlas’ reasoning for pulling Povetkin out of the fight was his belief that Povetkin was not ready to challenge Klitschko.

Although some may have criticized Atlas for his decision, it was the right decision in the eyes of this observer. In the years since Povetkin continued to improve and despite splitting from Atlas following his fight with Cedric Boswell, an argument could easily be made that Atlas’ decision allowed Povetkin to have a much better chance to be prepared for his challenge against Klitschko.

It goes without saying however, that no matter who challenges either of the Klitschko brothers, the odds are not necessarily in their favor. Despite being labeled as boring to watch by some; both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko could make a very justifiable argument as two of the most dominant champions not just in their era, but rather in the history of the Heavyweight division.

Both have won versions of the Heavyweight title on more than one occasion and since Vitali came out of retirement and regained a piece of the Heavyweight title in 2008, the brothers have become what this observer likes to refer to as the “Two-Headed Heavyweight Championship Monster” due to both ruling over the division with two iron fists. Several fighters have tried to derail both, but no one has been able to stop either of them and end their current reigns atop the “Heavyweight Mountain.” In my opinion the Klitschko brothers do not nearly get the credit that they truly deserve for their dominance. What makes both Vitali and Wladimir so difficult to fight is both are very fundamentally sound and are tacticians. In regard to Wladimir Klitschko he has developed into one of the most difficult Heavyweights to hit. Earlier in his career, Wladimir was more susceptible to being hit and suffered two knockout losses to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster. Wladimir was also floored in his first fight with Sam Peter and also in his fight with DaVarryl Williamson.

This has led to the belief of some that Wladimir does have a suspect chin. To Klitschko’s credit however, while under the guidance of the late great legendary trainer Emanuel Steward he was able to develop a style that allowed him to fully take advantage of his 6’ 6 frame and eighty-one inch reach. By putting an emphasis on his jab followed by his straight right hand, Klitschko has thoroughly dominated almost all challengers that have been placed before him.

The obvious question coming into this fight was whether the 6’2 Povetkin could bring the fight to Klitschko and if he could, would he be able to fight effectively on the inside without being tied up by the taller and heavier champion.  When the two fighters got in the ring on October 5^th in Moscow, Russia, Povetkin made it immediately clear that his strategy was to be aggressive from the outset and look to get on the inside.  This was the only way realistically that I could see Povetkin having a chance in this fight.  In his current reign as champion, Wladimir Klitschko has been able to pick his opponents apart utilizing his reach to keep fighters at distance.  Most recent opponents have not been able to get past Klitschko’s offensive arsenal highlighted by his jab followed by his straight right hand.  

Povetkin needed to find a way to make the champion uncomfortable. It seemed in the early going that Povetkin’s strategy was having success as Klitschko was forced to fight at a higher pace than his norm. 

It was Klitschko however, who was able to neutralize Povetkin on the inside by tying him up and utilizing his weight advantage. In microcosm this is how the fight was fought. Povetkin coming forward looking to bring the fight to Klitschko by throwing power punches, then being neutralized and overpowered in close by the bigger fighter. Klitschko scored a knockdown of Povetkin in the second round with a jab. To Povetkin’s credit, the challenger did not go into survival mode and continued to attempt to bring the fight to Klitschko. Povetkin had established that he had come to fight and would be there for however long the fight would last.

Klitschko’s physicality allowed him to win rounds simply by neutralizing Povetkin’s aggression on the inside. It was that physicality however, that would also work to the champion’s benefit in the seventh round as he was able to floor Povetkin three times. Questions however, arose as to the validity of those knockdowns. Klitschko was able to stagger Povetkin with combinations in this round, after hurting the challenger however, it appeared that Klitschko would either lean or throw Povetkin to the canvas. Although there is no question that Alexander Povetkin was hit by clean punches and hurt before going down, Klitschko appearing to use his strength to put Povetkin down may have some questioning why Referee Luis Pabon would call those knockdowns.

The questions of the legitimacy of the knockdowns in round seven put the fight out of reach for Povetkin on the scorecards. There was probably not many however, who really believed that Povetkin would have much of a chance on the scorecards going into the fight. Despite being in his home country and his undefeated record, Povetkin was the underdog and some fans and observers alike did not give Povetkin much chance of winning the fight let alone going the distance with Wladimir Klitschko.

Although there is likely some criticism that will be pointed in the direction of Wladimir Klitschko for using his size and natural physical advantages to his advantage in this fight, it is important to remember that Klitschko was allowed to lean and use his body weight on Povetkin for the majority of the fight. Although it may not be entertaining, if a referee will allow you to fight your fight and allow you to make full use of your physical advantages and size, why not use it to your advantage?

Despite being allowed to lean on Povetkin for the majority of fight, Klitschko would be penalized a point in round eleven for pushing Povetkin down to the canvas. Even though there will be some who will question the performance of Referee Luis Pabon and although the ultimate result of this fight, a one-sided unanimous decision for Wladimir Klitschko ultimately became a formality as the fight went on. What should not be overlooked is how “Game” Alexander Povetkin was in this fight. Povetkin did have the right idea of how to to fight Klitschko. Povetkin was just not able to keep the bigger Klitschko off of him and was not able to land effectively on the inside.

Despite suffering the first loss of his career Alexander Povetkin proved that he is for real and still remains a top Heavyweight contender. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Povetkin could end up back in line for another shot at Wladimir Klitschko. Perhaps the WBA may offer Povetkin another chance to earn interim/regular status in it’s Heavyweight ratings in the not too distant future.

Although many will continue to question who may be able to derail either of the Klitschko brothers, Alexander Povetkin earned much more respect coming out of this fight with Wladimir Klitschko that he was given by some going in. Will Povetkin be the fighter who may take over the Heavyweight division in the post-Klitschko era? No one really knows, but after the valiant effort he put forth in this fight Alexander Povetkin has established himself as a legitimate player in the division.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Stevenson Dominates Cloud In First Title Defense

When top Super-Middleweight contender Adonis Stevenson moved up in weight to the Light-Heavyweight division and dethroned WBC champion and longtime division cornerstone Chad Dawson in just seventy-six seconds in June of this year, it was clear that a new star had emerged in the sport of Boxing. Despite the devastating manner in which Stevenson became in some observers eyes the Light-Heavyweight champion of the world, questions remained.

After all, when someone who is of the caliber of a Chad Dawson not only gets knocked out, but is knocked out as quickly and decisively as Stevenson was able to end that fight; it is only natural to question how good the fighter who scored the knockout really is. An obvious basis some might use could be to suggest that Dawson was somewhat diminished following his loss to Super-Middleweight world champion Andre Ward.  Stevenson however, did enter into the fight with Dawson having compiled a career knockout percentage of over 80%. Although some may have been tempted to question how good Adonis Stevenson is, no one should have questioned his punching power.

An argument could be made that a more appropriate question that Stevenson would have to answer is how his punching power would fair against the elite level of the Light-Heavyweight division? It was not very surprising to this observer to hear that Stevenson’s first title defense would come against former IBF Light-Heavyweight world champion Tavoris Cloud on September 28^th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Cloud, who reigned as champion for nearly five years came into the fight with Stevenson after losing his world title to future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in March of this year. Stylistically, this seemed to be a good match up for both fighters. Much like Stevenson, Cloud has an exciting style, is not afraid to mix it up, and in his own right has a career knockout percentage of over 70%.

What seemed to be a probable collision between two power punchers was the latest in a series of extremely well-matched bouts that taken place in the sport in 2013. When it comes to Boxing however, always expect the unexpected. 

The brawl between these two punchers that some had expected going into the fight never materialized. What did materialize was frankly a demonstration of one fighter’s vast skill in showing that he had a lot more in his arsenal then just punching power. For seven rounds Adonis Stevenson controlled the fight using his hand speed and lateral movement to pick his shots and gradually break Cloud down. Stevenson was effective in using his jab to set up quick combinations, mixing his attack to the body and the head, all while keeping Cloud at distance. Cloud did not seem to have an answer to neutralize Stevenson’s movement and nullify his offense.

One of the things that Stevenson used to control this fight from start to finish was excellent lateral movement. This allowed him to get off first, keep Cloud on the defensive, and minimize Cloud’s offense by being an elusive target. Although being seemingly outgunned, Cloud was quite “Game” and continued looking for a way to turn the momentum in his favor. As the rounds went on however, the effects of the punishment Cloud had sustained gradually began to show as he suffered cuts over both eyes. This led to the eventual stoppage of this bout by Cloud’s trainer Al Bonanni at the end of the seventh round.

Some might argue that this latest loss for Cloud may set him back in terms of being in the Light-Heavyweight championship picture. A questionable decision win over Gabriel Campillo in a fight that most observers, this one included, felt Campillo won was followed by his lopsided decision loss to Bernard Hopkins earlier this year. One should not however, write Tavoris Cloud off following his loss to Adonis Stevenson. The toughness he showed in this fight with Stevenson along with his style makes him a dangerous fighter and someone who should not be taken lightly. We will have to wait and see what happens for Cloud heading into 2014. 

For Adonis Stevenson although some questions may still remain, his dominant performance in this fight has certainly solidified his status at the top of the Light-Heavyweight division. In the immediate future, Stevenson’s next title defense should come against WBC mandatory challenger and former world title challenger Tony Bellew. Bellew, a winner of twenty out of twenty-two professional fights is a former British Light-Heavyweight champion who has only been defeated by former WBO champion Nathan Cleverly in a narrow decision that could have gone either way. Although some may be envisioning potential fights between Stevenson and the other champions of the Light-Heavyweight division Bernard Hopkins, Beibut Shumenov, and Sergey Kovalev, Bellew is a fighter who could give Stevenson difficulty. Based on how effective Adonis Stevenson was able to out box Tavoris Cloud, it would be interesting to see if Stevenson elects to box with Bellew or if he will look to be the power puncher.

 The potential fight with Bellew could take place before the end of 2013. If Stevenson is successful against Bellew, one might argue that his next fight following his fight with Bellew could be a potential pay-per-view draw with either Bernard Hopkins or Sergey Kovalev. Hopkins is scheduled to defend the IBF Light- Heavyweight championship against mandatory challenger Karo Murat on October 26th.

If Hopkins is successful in defending his title later this month, it could present an interesting dilemma as to who Adonis Stevenson would choose to face in a potential unification bout if those options are indeed available to him. One should also not overlook the possibility of Stevenson facing the winner of the upcoming bout between former Light-Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and former longtime IBF Super-Middleweight champion Lucian Bute, which is scheduled to take place in January 2014. Although Stevenson seemingly has business to attend to with Tony Bellew before any of those potential fights can be considered, from an economic and business standpoint; the winner of this Light-Heavyweight championship picture just may be the city of Montreal which has become a hotbed of Boxing in recent years.

Whichever way the Light-Heavyweight championship picture plays out it should be entertaining to watch. The Light-Heavyweight division could be another boost for the sport of Boxing heading into 2014.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

A Call For Action Poll:

The Boxing Truth® is currently in the process of formulating a feature entitled “A Call For Action.” As a writer, controversy always is something to live by. As a true fan of the sport of Boxing I have had just about enough of incompetence, rumors, and many controversial atrocities merely swept under the rug. 

I am asking for feedback regarding the avid Boxing fans view and insight on the sport of Boxing.  I am proposing the need for an “Independent Boxing Association” on a national level which much like Baseball, and Football would govern all facets of the sport in the United States. 

Please submit feedback either on this blog or, by contacting me via Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

I thank you for reading and look forward to every response.  Stay tuned “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Mayweather Still The Best Pound For Pound

There was much intrigue and anticipation leading up to the World Jr. Middleweight championship unification bout between undefeated multi-division world champion Floyd Mayweather and undefeated WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul Alvarez. This fight had all the plausible ingredients to be a major pay-per-view and box office draw. It also however, had the ingredients going in of a fight between a future Hall of Famer and a young unbeaten champion who has yet to enter his prime. A fight that had the potential to be a classic.

All of the anticipation leading up to this fight culminated in what overall should be considered a great night for the sport of Boxing on September 14^th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the lead up to this fight, this observer stated that it was critical in my opinion that Alvarez put pressure on Mayweather from the outset. I stated that Alvarez needed to be consistent in throwing his jab and also consistent in pushing Mayweather back.

When the fight began however, it was somewhat surprising to see the thirty-six-year-old Mayweather as the one who was coming forward in a clear attempt to test the twenty-three-year-old Alvarez who despite an undefeated record of 42-0-1, with 30 knockouts coming into the fight had never been in a fight with someone who is of the level of a Floyd Mayweather. To Alvarez’ credit he was composed, not intimidated, and solid defensively. 

Alvarez however, opted to fight tactically with Mayweather and not putting forth consistent pressure which most observers this one included felt would be to his advantage. A tactical chess match seemed to play right into Mayweather’s hands. It seemed that neither fighter wanted to make the first move early on with Alvarez electing to fight at long range seemingly looking to force Mayweather to commit and look to counter Mayweather’s offense. Although this fight was fought seemingly at Mayweather’s pace, Alvarez was able to have his moments landing occasional hooks to the head as well as periodically landing combinations to the body.

An argument could be made that the first four rounds of this fight were “Swing rounds” that could have caused a difference of opinion as to who won those rounds due to the pace that the fight was being fought and both fighters being able to have their moments. The difference in this fight as the rounds went on was Mayweather’s ability to get his punches off first, use his lateral movement to defend, and deflect Alvarez’ offense. Not only did Mayweather seem to get off first, he also landed the cleaner, more effective punches led by an excellent jab that he seemingly landed whenever he threw it. As the fight went on, Mayweather picked his shots landing combinations to the head and body of Alvarez.

Alvarez was active in throwing punches, but the key in this fight was he could not find a way to land flush on Mayweather, who showed his great defense and accuracy when he threw punches landing 232 of 505 total punches throughout the twelve round championship bout to Alvarez’ 117 of 526 punches thrown according to CompuBox. 

What should also not be overlooked is that Mayweather was more than willing to engage with Alvarez throughout the fight and consistently beat him to the punch. In a tactical Boxing match sometimes it is as simple as who has the quicker hands. In this fight that fighter was Floyd Mayweather. As I have said many times over the years, although Floyd Mayweather’s Boxing style may not always be crowd pleasing, for Boxing purists it is a pleasure to watch.

Although Alvarez never stopped trying to turn the momentum in his favor and continued to attempt to walk Mayweather down; he was unable to cut off the ring and trap Mayweather consistently throughout this fight due to Mayweather’s lateral movement , precision timing, and counter punching. Alvarez however, fought well in this fight and deserves credit for the effort he put forth. This fight could be best described as a great fighter at the peak of his greatness besting a fighter who could and probably will be considered a great fighter in the years to come. In my opinion, Showtime Boxing analyst Al Bernstein summed it up best when he said “ “Canelo “(Alvarez) may well be the fighter of tomorrow, he is not quite yet the fighter of today.”

Last week, I closed my comments in the build up to Mayweather-Alvarez by saying that it was my hope that as the Boxing world prepared for another “Super Fight” that the sport of Boxing would at least be spared for one night from any controversy or, would be black eyes that all too often plague the sport. For the most part, as a whole I got my wish as the card headlined by Mayweather and Alvarez simply titled “The One” provided plenty of action and was well-matched.

The ugly element of controversy however, reared its head when the decision of Mayweather-Alvarez was announced. After a fight with a consensus among fans and experts alike being a clear victory for Floyd Mayweather, Judge C.J. Ross turned in a baffling score of 114-114 calling the fight a draw.

Many Boxing fans will remember Ross for turning in a scorecard of 115-113 in favor of Tim Bradley in his controversial decision over Manny Pacquiao last year. The decision which raised the ire of fans, experts, and even got the brief attention of Senators John McCain and Harry Reid who introduced legislation that would create a national board of control in the United States to oversee and restore the integrity of the sport of Boxing. Unfortunately, the efforts of Senators McCain and Reid seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as there was not much said following the brief introduction of legislation in the immediate aftermath of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.

Unlike the Pacquiao-Bradley decision however, Judge Ross’ scorecard did not play as much a factor in the Mayweather-Alvarez fight. Judges Dave Moretti, who scored the fight 116-112, and Craig Metcalfe who scored the fight 117-111 respectfully had Mayweather as the winner giving Mayweather a justified decision win.

Although I am not one who likes to criticize judges for the sake of criticizing judges, and although much criticism has been directed toward C.J. Ross for her scorecard I must say that I disagree with how she saw this fight. The fight was fought at a tactical pace and the first four rounds could have a difference of opinion as to who won those rounds. I fail to see however, how Alvarez could have won six out of twelve rounds. Mayweather was the effective aggressor and although Alvarez was able to have his moments in the fight, he was not consistent enough to win six rounds.

Unofficially, I scored this fight the same as Craig Metcalfe 117-111 for Mayweather giving rounds two, ten, and twelve to Alvarez. Ross however, gave rounds one, three, eight, nine, eleven, and twelve to Alvarez. If this fight had knockdowns scored against Mayweather or point deductions against Mayweather I could potentially see the argument of Judge Ross. I cannot however, see an argument as there were no knockdowns, no point deductions and Mayweather getting the better of the action for the majority of the fight.

For her part, according to TMZ Ross has simply stated “I stand by my decision.” On one hand one could say that it is good for a judge to stand behind their score of a fight. On another hand however, for Ross to ignore criticism of her scoring especially after the Pacquiao-Bradley controversy is at least a little surprising. What is not surprising is the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s stance that it has no plans of disciplinary action against Ross much as there was no disciplinary action taken by the commission following the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.

This observer was extremely critical of the scoring of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight and I along with many other members of media and Boxing fans said that it was time to clean up the sport… In this case the result of this fight was right and just as Mayweather earned his 45^th victory in as many fights. Would this controversy regarding the scorecard of C.J. Ross be turned up had the scorecard led to a loss against Mayweather in a fight that he clearly dominated?  Certainly…  It is however, refreshing to see that people whether they be a fan or expert are looking for accountability in a sport that needs accountability.

Whether this latest controversy leads to more calls for government intervention in the sport remains to be seen.  In the aftermath of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, I had the pleasure of conversing with several readers and observers who suggested to me that the potential way that real change will come to the sport in the state of Nevada is if promoters and fighters simply choose to stage fights and fight elsewhere. One observer said very boldly “Hit them in the pocketbook.”

It is debatable as to whether the theory of economic loss would lead to a change in any state athletic commission with regard to the sport of Boxing or even the sport of Mixed Martial Arts that has seen its own share of controversial decisions. This observer however, believes that the only way that there will ever be federal intervention to oversee the sport of Boxing in the United States is if the people who care about the sport, the Fans, Fighters, Broadcasters, Journalists and what have you, all rise as one and demand it. Demand it by writing politicians and those who can make a national board of control for the sport of Boxing possible. We are all guilty for quieting down on this issue once it appears that steps might be taken that may lead to a national Boxing board of control here in the United States.

Only by the demand of the people will such a concept be brought to fruition. For the moment, the Mayweather-Alvarez fight and the night of Boxing overall on September 14^th in Las Vegas should be viewed as a victory for the sport of Boxing. Even if one judge’s scorecard has been called into question it was a memorable night that Boxing surely will benefit from. 

”And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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