I think Povetkin is a bit overrated

He didn't beat better competition than Vitali.

 

Rahman ‘was in his 30s’ … technically true: He was five weeks short of his 40th birthday and seven years removed from his last win over anything resembling a contender.

If that’s a win you could classify as hard to imagine … only because it’s hard to imagine that Rahman was still being licensed at that time.

 

Yes he did.

 

Nope. Adamek beats a shell of Chagaev. Peter snuffs out the shell of Whyte. Solis beats Chambers (Adamek did beat him). Sanders lays out Perez. Gomez beats Takam. Arreola lays out Price. Chisora beats Wach.

That pretty much covers it.

 

The Briggs who Vitali hospitalized would have done him in within a round.

 

The Chris Byrd win is a quality win relative to where Povetkin was in his career. Byrd was post prime but still on a string of solid wins, and Alexander was in only his 14th professional fight. Taking on a tricky southpaw veteran that early in your career was a sign of promise for Povetkin.
Chambers at 30-0 whom would go on to be rated has high a number 3 in the division is another quality win and he actually broke the top 10 ring ratings after the loss to Povetkin if memory serves. Chagaev was another extremely solid scalp. Huck was 34-1 Cruiser champ and top dog in that division. Look at Usyk right now dominating the division as the former top dog in Cruiser. Tough fight but I clearly had Povetkin winning. Most of Huck’s blows were to the back of Alexander’s head. Icing top contender Whyte while being post prime himself is another excellent win, and even the draw, with Hunter is extremely solid. Again relative to where Povetkin was at that point in his career. Hunter gave a great account of himself against Usyk. Hunter beat the undefeated boogeyman Bakole and top amateur star Kuzmin. As well as veteran Ustinov. Honestly Hunter should have done more in his career.
Povetkin also had the blow out of Perez in a high profile match.
Overall Povetkin had a great career. Only stopped once against peak Joshua. I don’t count his corpse version in his final fight after long Covid against Whyte in the rematch.
Not to say he didn’t have shortcomings in his career, his time with Atlas was a disaster and nobody should be promoting his win over Rahman. Rahman was completely done by time they fought.
In short Povetkin was durable, a great combination puncher and quite sound defensively. Quite frankly a skilled finished product.
He also produced the most highlight reel knockouts in the division in a long long time. Price, Charr, Duhaupas, Perez are just to name a few. exciting fighter.
was he the best fighter to never win a title - maybe not a lot of old timers can make that claim, but he has a claim for the last 30-40 years. Which is impressive.

 

Povetkin was expected to beat Byrd and a massive betting favorite.

Though I'm sure it was nice to add a recognizable name to his CV that early on in his career, it had the sporting relevance of any young, hungry prospect against a high-end journeyman.

What "string of solid wins" was Byrd on? He had fought once since being bludgeoned by Wlad for the second time, beating an unknown. Even before Wlad he'd been on a downward slope, clocking up a string of solid controversies and stinkfests.

By the time he fought Povetkin, he was 37, hadn't beaten a ranked fighter in three years and, post-Povetkin, went 1-1 before retiring. Byrd was way beyond "post prime". He was a borderline shot fighter.

 

Povetkin knocked out the better White than Fury with a better uppercut.
Povetkin is not overrated.
2-5

 

You really list the Duhaupas win?

Here’s what happened: Povetkin failed a drug test for PEDs. The Russian commission (if there even is such a thing) basically ignored the finding and said he could fight. Whoever he was supposed to be fighting left and they flew in Duhaupas on one day’s notice (not even in training) by offering a big payday. Duhaupas didn’t even have his boxing shoes, had to borrow someone’s.

So you want to credit a ‘roided up guy who’s juiced to the gills vs. a guy who flew in without training on a day’s notice, fighting in borrowed shows, as a big win?

Not to mention Price, who got highlight-reel KO’d every time he stepped up.

If that’s where you have to reach to big up a guy, maybe it’s worth asking yourself why you’d want to big him up in the first place.

 

Agree.

 

He's super overrated.

 

Hi Buddy.
Sanity, thank goodness you decided to make a contribution, as nearly always with most topics, a poster ( in this case a top tier poster )
puts his thoughts and feelings out there for the rest of the forum to view and digest, and in my case guides me to place where by the clouds part, the fog lifts, and I can sit back and think, yes this is the bible of opinions, this piece has held my aging hand and showed me the light, no more need I ponder, no more musing, there it is, look no further, the quest is over, just press like, and retire to bed, perchance to dream.
stay safe Saint, and more enlightenment, if you please, chat soon buddy.

 

I stand by what I said, I listed it as highlight reel KO Which it is. I didn’t list it as one of his best wins. I could have listed the Whyte fight or Takam in its place.

 

If this is sarcasm, it’s a masterpiece, haha. Hang-on-a-museum-wall stuff.

If not, well, bless your misguided heart if you’re looking to me for enlightenment.

You stay safe and have a happy Thanksgiving next week.

 

Yeah you tend to get pretty endings when you juice yourself til your eyes turn yellow and bring in a zombie who they prop up in borrowed shoes for you to practice on.