Alexander Povetkin vs. Christian Hammer RBR

I can see both sides of this argument. For me Povetkin is definitely a mainstay of the heavyweight top 5 h2h continuously over the last decade-plus (at least in heavyweight terms) at least, if not a very clearly delineated #3 or #2 or even #1 at various times (again, h2h).

That said, following his career has been a lesson in stop-and-go frustration and some very hot and cold tendencies in his performances. Time and again he will build up all this momentum and then just plateau, and he never notched that one signature win you really want to see a guy have if he's supposed to be a trans-generational elite (as most consider Sasha - the kind of guy that is unlucky to have come along in the K2 era because otherwise it would be known as the Povetkin Era)

 

I actually think the lead is getting buried here, so to speak. Povetkin looked - decent enough, by Povetkin standards. I don't know if this told us any more than we already knew about how good he would or wouldn't do versus any of the current champs. Suffice to say, other than not getting the KO he looked about the same as what you probably think of when you think of an aggressive, "turned-on" Povetkin performance - whatever that means to you, regarding his place in h2h heavyweight match-ups.

The lost headline here - needlessly lost, IMO, since all the focus has been a circle jerk of "Povetkin looked like Povetkin. Okay, cool." - is really the one we should all be marveling at, and that is that Hammer survived twelve not because Povetkin looked poor (he didn't, like I said it was to my eyes more or less the same old exact Povetkin that fought Rudenko/Charr/Perez/Takam etc) but rather because of Hammer showing more toughness and better defense than I think most of us gave him credit for being able to produce heading into this. He didn't spend the whole fight running away, he actually stuck it out in the pocket quite a few times with Povetkin and took his lumps for it, and was dominated but always had at least a couple of moments of respectable counteroffensive in every round.

An honest and by turns smart & gutsy performance from Hammer, maybe the best form I've seen from him - and served as a truth serum for what he really is: a full level below world class. Decidedly Euro, with his head bumping hard on the ceiling but not breaking through the tile into the next floor.

 

Zdunek. (RIP)

 

Trust me, if anybody didn't see Duhaupas vs. Ouatah yesterday, that version of Johann is absolutely 100% not better than the Hammer we saw against Povetkin today.

Ouatah had that easily in the bag until his very tiny, shallow gas tank ran out. Hammer from earlier today - even throwing the exact same amount of punches he did at Povetkin in a defensive-oriented turn - would dominate the slow lumbering Duhaupas that fought yesterday.