Alexander Povetkin vs. Carlos Takam, Pre-Fight Analysis

The fight is scheduled for October 24th. It will take place in Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow, Russia.

Profiles

Alexander Povetkin
Record: 27 wins (19 KO), 1 loss
Age: 34
Height: 188cm (6′ 2&#8243
Reach: 191cm (75&#8243
Weight: 102 kg (224.8 lbs) last fight weight

Carlos Takam
Record: 30 wins (23 KO), 1 loss, 1 draw
Age: 33
Height: 189cm (6′ 2½&#8243
Reach: 193cm (76&#8243
Weight: 116.6 kg (257 lbs) last fight weight

Background

Probably the best heavyweight prospect of the late 2000s, Sasha Povetkin had a long way coming to his shot at the undisputed championship against Wladimir Klitschko on October 5th 2013. It turned out that the stellar resume consisting of wins over the likes of Byrd, Chambers, Chagaev, Huck and others didn't help him much in his unsuccessful effort against Klitschko. Wladimir's clinching tactics played the major role in preventing Sasha from doing what he was supposed to do, resulting the decision victory for the defending champion. Earlier this year, Povetkin made a comeback and rebounded from the defeat in a victory over contender Manuel Charr. It took Sasha 7 rounds to knock Charr out in a spectacular fashion. The next target on the radar is a top 10 opponent, highly rated all-action brawler Carlos Takam.

Cameroon-born Takam has spent the majority of his career fighting in his adopted homeland of France. He remained relatively distant from the main scene for the most part of his career, collecting wins over the likes of Samir Kurtagic, Frans Botha, Ivica Perkovic and Michael Grant. Then, in January this year, he fought a highly rated undefeated heavyweight Mike Perez in a match which drastically raised his reputation. The fight ended being a draw, although the majority of boxing media felt that Takam should have got the decision. Then, on June 6th, Takam fought and defeated a highly rated veteran Tony Thompson, which earned him a WBC Silver heavyweight title and a rightful top 10 spot in majority of the boxing media. The next destination is Moscow and so far the biggest fight of his career.

Amateur experience

While both boxers have the amateur experience, it's pretty clear that Povetkin is on another level as far as this segment is concerned. Sasha has perhaps the most decorated record in the super heavyweight history, having won virtually every major tournament he ever appeared in, with the most important ones being 2 European championships, one World championship and the Olympic gold medal. There isn't much to tell about his amateur pedigree that hasn't been told already.

Takam, while not being exactly comparable to Povetkin in this category, has a solid resume himself. He won a bronze medal on All-Africa games in 2003, and a gold medal in the African amateur championship the same year. He also won the African 2004 Olympic qualifying tournament, earning him a place in the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, where he was eliminated in early stage. The tournament was eventually won by Povetkin.

Styles

Povetkin is a very aggressive type of boxer. He is very fast for his weight, which allows him to go in with fast and explosive combinations each time he sees an opening. As his amateur pedigree suggests, Sasha is very difficult to outbox and has a good defense, which makes him a very difficult opponent to defeat, especially for the boxers who are about his size.

On the other side, Takam doesn't usually prefer to outbox his opponents, but to outwork them, with a knockout being the obvious goal. Carlos is a typical brawler. His stamina allows his to keep coming forward throughout the entire fight and to keep throwing. He is also very difficult to keep at bay due to his strength and very good punch resistance. So far, his style has never failed him when he needed to rely on it the most.

Strengths and weaknesses

As demonstrated against Charr, Sasha's main assets are his explosiveness, combinations and accuracy. Of course, that's not all. Povetkin has a lot more weapons in his arsenal which he will likely need to rely on in the upcoming fight. He is very good at measuring the distance, which is usually one of the main difficulties his opponents are faced with when they are trying to hit him. Sasha is also a great finisher, and once he has the opponent hurt, the fight is likely to end very quickly. He is very hard to hurt due to his punch resistance which is on a very high level, therefore even if he gets tagged, it's unlikely that he course of the fight would drastically change. However, Povetkin is far from being invincible. Despite being strong, he doesn't prefer being clinched and leaned on too much, as seen in the Klitschko fight. Ultimately, he can get tired at some point, causing him to lose his speed and get a little bit careless, thus easier to hit.

Takam's main assets are his excellent stamina, ability to throw punches virtually without stopping and a very good punch resistance, with is a very important factor considering his style. He is also incredibly strong, so the usual odds are on his opponent getting tired if the high pace brawl is forced throughout the fight. As seen in the Perez fight, he was getting outboxed by Perez in the first half of the fight, but as soon as the Cuban got tired, Takam started controlling the fight and had Perez in a very uncomfortable position. Against Thompson, Carlos simply forced his style on the opponent and relatively easily outroxed Tony to a relatively wide decision win. However, Takam isn't really comfortable while fighting a boxer type of opponent, especially if the opponent is keeping the distance well and doesn't easily enter the brawl and expend a lot of his energy. Also, Takam isn't among the fastest boxer out there, so it's a natural conclusion that he will face many difficulties dealing with a highly precise and accurate opponent.

Outcome

Considering the styles of these guys, it's mor ethan reasonable to expect a very good and action packed fight here. Despite the different styles they posses, both guys are very familiar with being explosive and both are known for very good chins. Takam is extremely strong, but I'm not sure if he will be able to force a brawl against Povetkin and make him waste much of the energy. Povetkin is also significantly faster, not to mention that Takam never faced an elite boxer on Sasha's level in his career. I wouldn't hurry to bet on a knockout on either side, but I also wouldn't completely rule out that possibility. Povetkin is the rightful favorite in this fight, and despite everything that Takam brings to the table, I see little space for the surprise.

We don't see fireworks every time in a high profile fight like this, but the odds are that we are going to see the action packed bout this time. One thing is certain, you shouldn't miss this.

Feel free to share your own opinion on the fight.

 

Well, yes, the WBC belt surely adds the significance to the Stiverne - Wilder fight. However, that fight isn't exactly comparable to Povetkin - Takam in terms of money or the public attraction. Sasha is the second biggest name in the division and he is taking on a top opponent who is really dangerous.

 

The fight is nearing. Russian media is heavily favoring Povetkin.

 

Seven days until the fight. Everything is ready for the big event in Moscow.

The general public seem to be heavily favoring Povetkin, especially in Russia, where they are still impressed by Povetkin's recent knockout of Charr.

Any final predictions?