Hard to know how Povetkin would deal with the pressure and how Frazier would cope with a tight guard, stiff jab, combinations and power of a 230lb man
Picking Frazier by KO...probably a harder fight then Oscar for Frazier. I like Povetkin...he’s like a roided up Bonavena.
Povetkin didn’t actual do that well against smallish heavyweights. Chambers, Chagaev, and Huck all had some success. And Hunter recently. I think Frazier would beat him up and outwork him, but it would go 12.
That wasn't hard since he was probably the only combination puncher around during that era. Its not like he had to compete with anybody else
Chagaev, Ibragimov, Ruiz, Arreola, Jennings....Povetkin wasn’t really a better one than all of the others though.
Frazier, fairly easily. Frazier and all time great, Povetkin a very very good fighter. Great beats very, very good every time. Frazier was actually pretty hard to hit at his best. People seem to only remember the Foreman fights and the Thrilla in Manilla. That and Frazier had a good chin. He took a chit load of power punches from a prime Foreman with 8 oz gloves. The Foreman fights are the only fights Frazier was seriously hurt in.
I go with Smokin Joe Frazier by unanimous decision, he was very relentless and would not let anyone breath in the ring. That left hook was deadly, even George Foreman said that before he stopped Joe in 1973, that he got shook by the left hook. Joe would initiate phonebooth warfare against the taller Povetkin, just like in the Bonavena rematch in 1968.
Frazier used the right hand often-he could not have been such a high volume puncher without it-but it was not noirmally a KO punch for him. His chin was better than OK, but not great *for* a world class fighter.
How one can watch the Foreman-Frazier fights and conclude Frazier's chin was the problem is beyond me. Fighters who don't have great chins don't take the punishment Frazier did in Manila and remain on their feet.
Frazier should win a UD or stop him in the late rounds but its not a given. Remember Povetkin is amazing on the inside and his combinations on the inside are significantly faster than Fraizers. He also probably hits harder and Povetkin loves his uppercuts. Fraizer is susceptible to those. I see Fraizer getting knocked down a few times. I can see Povetkin being unaccustomed to Fraizers pressure, shorter height and body work though.
