I'm backing Povetkin but this is the only thing that makes me doubtful

Povetkin is a natural gentlemen outside of the ring, but once inside the animal awakens.

Saying that even if he were angry and menacing in the build up, he'd still not have a chance considering he's fighting a super hw in their prime whilst he's a more or less a 40 year old cruiser weight.

 

I thought this myself CutThroatFade, but you have to remember the Russians are masters of psychological warfare.

Team Povetkin doesn't want a gee'd up and psyched up Anthony Joshua, they want a Joshua who is sleeping on Povetkin, lacking in motivation, and coming into this fight thinking Povetkin is there for just a payday.

Thus be humble, kind, respectful, non-confrontational, quiet and peaceful, play second fiddle, don't give Anthony Joshua any reason to be excited by this fight, try to get him coming into the ring lacking that edge, and try to catch him sleeping. I am sure this is a strategy of Team Povetkins, try to put Joshua to sleep (figure of speech) while Povetkin is secretly training and preparing for blood and guts determination.

 

Very good way of looking at it and very much agree.

Act docile, smile, pretend to be his friend and then knock his head off his shoulders when the time comes.

 

This.

You know who else did this?

Fedor.

He almost never looked his opponents in the eyes. He was always careful to use neutral language that would neither anger the opponent nor engender confidence in them. If asked whether he would beat an opponent, he would say things like "I am grateful for the opportunity to display my skills and I hope it will be a good fight." Even at the ring staredown he'd look at his feet.

Then the bell would ring and hell would break loose.

 

I lived on the Russian border in Estonia for years, praying for a KO victory for all my Russian brethren and a parade through Red Square for Povetkin next week.

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Yes yes yes.

I want to see Povetkin coming out to the ring shedding tears like a baby for the fate of the fraud with Putin looming in the shadows, standing behind him, accompanying him to the ring.

I will never forget Oliver Mccall crying all the time because of the pity he felt for his opponents and the unbridled pain he was to cause

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European fighters are real sportsmen, they do not care about face offs and stuff. It's a real sport, both probably feel awkward staring in each others eyes for the press. Showing mutual respect is important, treating it as the sport it is.

Kovalev tried the same with Ward but Ward's behaviour was so unclassy, arrogant and childish, which is why there was hate between them. Imagine Kovalev vs. Ottke, a similar fighter to Ward. There would be handshakes, smiles etc. till before the fight because they are sportsmen.

Even Badr Hari and Saki were nice with each other till the fight started. It's only classless guys like BJS or many Americans who do these disrespectful behaviours, it's a cultural thing though.

 

This pseudo-psych pap is almost irrelevant unfortunately.

Facts are that the two aren't so different excepting that AJ is about 10% bigger.
That will tell during the fight and this is like middle weight Vs a smw/LHW.

Nothing more to it than that really, Big Josh deals with Pov with relative ease. It's AJ's fight to lose, but he probably won't.

 

Funnily enough BCS8, this is what Povetkin did today at the press conference. Start watching at 6:38, look how Povetkin answers every question, completely non-emotive, not giving any depth to any of his responses, simply smiling and stating generic neutral answers, almost as if he's trying to be as boring and non-engaging as possible, he's trying to rock Joshua to sleep.

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Slight correction to Michael Buffer as Lennox did face another Olympic gold medalist in Tyrell Biggs. In normal circumstances Biggs would have won the world title but ran into the great Mike Tyson at his peak.

 

Thats just the way Povetkin is. He's a genuinely humble and good-natured man and AJ knows it. He's not going to train or prepare any less because he respects Povetkin's good manners.
He knows Povetkin has a lot of techinical skill and is hard to stop which is why he trained for this fight harder than any other.
You're reading too much into nothing.

 

I think Ray Mercer was also an Olympic gold medalist at Heavyweight, could be wrong.