Alexander Povetkin: record, next fight and profile →
Eddie Hearn, promoter WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs), is concerned with his fighter's upcoming assignment - which is a mandatory world title defense against Alexander Povetkin.
Two years ago, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was scheduled to make a mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin in Moscow, Russia. Before the fight could come off, Povetkin tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and the contest was canceled. Povetkin has found his way back, built himself up, and is now going to challenge WBA, IBO, WBO, IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the fall.
Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder is the heavyweight fight fans want to see more than any other. One of Alexander Povetkin’s promoters has advised them not to sleep on the heavyweight fight they’re more likely to see first. Vadim Kornilov, who works for Andrey Ryabinskiy’s World of Boxing (Povetkin’s promoter), even suggested Joshua-Povetkin will be “much more competitive and exciting” than a bout between undefeated champions who’ve combined to knock out 97 percent of their opponents.
As BoxingScene.com reported earlier today, unified world champion Anthony Joshua has been told by the World Boxing Association (WBA) to agree terms for a mandatory title defence against Russia's Alexander Povetkin with "immediate effect" or risk losing his WBA title.
Assuming a deal is finalized for an Anthony Joshua-Alexander Povetkin fight, it likely would be the first boxing main event offered on the DAZN streaming service in the United States. BoxingScene.com has learned that Joshua’s mandatory WBA heavyweight title defense versus Povetkin probably will take place September 22. The Joshua-Povetkin venue hasn’t been determined.
Eddie Hearn can’t understand what’s taking Deontay Wilder’s handlers so long to respond in any way to the contract they were sent last week for a huge heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua.
The WBA ordered Anthony Joshua on Tuesday to make a deal to fight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin within 24 hours. Gilberto Mendoza, president of the Panama-based sanctioning organization, issued that order because the WBA doesn’t want to wait any longer for a deal to be consummated between Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) and WBC champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) for a heavyweight title unification fight. A Joshua-Wilder showdown would be one of the biggest fights in boxing and would make much more money than the mandated Joshua-Povetkin bout, but Joshua’s mandatory defense is overdue.
Olympic bronze medal winner David Price has warned Anthony Joshua that he should not take Alexander Povetkin lightly. Joshua, who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight titles, was ordered by the World Boxing Association to make a mandatory defense against Povetkin.
Eddie Hearn expects Anthony Joshua’s proposed fight against Alexander Povetkin to be “finalised in the next 72 hours”, but has warned that an agreement for the superfight with Deontay Wilder could still be a month away. The promoter has also revealed that Ireland’s Katie Taylor plans to fight on the undercard of the July 28 heavyweight fight between Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker, despite her father being shot and admitted to hospital.
Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs), is very concerned if his boxer steps in the ring with mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. The two sides are in talks, after the World Boxing Association order the two boxers to face each other.