By Yuri Tarantin

Olympic gold medal winner Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22KOs) is hoping the fight with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35KOs) comes through.

Wilder retained his world title last month with a knockout of Artur Szpilka, while Martin captured the IBF belt in the co-feature with a TKO in three over Czar Glazkov.

Povetkin is not paying any attention to the politics. He only has the mandatory world title shot on his mind. If Wilder refuses to take the fight, he will be stripped of the WBC title.

"I am not paying attention [to the rumors]. I have a promoter who has to negotiate, and I do not know what is happening in the negotiations. I do not think much about it [whether Wilder will take the fight or not]. I would like to box with the best. I hope that after everything the fight with Wilder will work out, but if not - I will be boxing with someone else [for the WBC title]," Povetkin said. 

"I've heard that Wilder says that I'm afraid of him. I'm not afraid of him, I am absolutely ready. As for his intentions, maybe he is not afraid, maybe he just has some other goals of his own. With regard to the changes in training, maybe we'll go to America to prepare, if the fight is there. We going to start working somewhere in the mountains."

"I train all the time. We are engaged in physical training and in addition going up to the boxing school with Ivan Kirpa. We work on the pads and we are working on the tactical details with tall fighters, those who we feel will benefit us for the fight with Wilder."

Povetkin was ringside when Wilder knocked Szpilka out cold on a single punch.

"In boxing, it's one hit and everything is over, so you should always be on the lookout, always keep your hands up and to try to protect yourself and do not leave yourself open. I can not say that he's had no serious opponents. He is a world champion, which means that he faced some serious fighters," said Povetkin.

Yuri Tarantin covers boxing for Allboxing.ru