Deontay Wilder vs. Alexander Povetkin Fight Reportedly to Be Ordered by WBC
Deontay Wilder, the WBC world heavyweight champion, will reportedly be forced to defend his title against the rampant Alexander Povetkin in a mandatory matchup.
That’s according to Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, who has claimed a voluntary defence is not an option, per Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com.
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Wilder retained his title with an 11th-round stoppage against Johann Duhaupas on Saturday, three months after knocking out Eric Molina in nine rounds. As noted here by ESPN’s Brian Campbell, the American, who has now won all 35 of his professional fights, always makes for entertaining bouts:
Wilder clearly has his eyes on the top of the sport, too, insisting he is targeting a bout with his old sparring partner Wladimir Klitschko.
“Hopefully, sometime end of next year,” he said when quizzed on the prospect of going up against the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO title holder, per Sky Sports. “We got to get these mandatories out of the way. People gotta understand. They got to stay patient. This is a process and a business.”
Povetkin is a man who many feel is capable of ending Wilder’s winning run. He is the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight title after securing thunderous knockout wins over Manuel Charr, Mike Perez and Carlos Takam. The Russian has only lost once in his professional career, to Klitschko in 2013.
He goes up against Mariusz Wach in his next fight, and according to Rivera, if Povetkin comes through that one unscathed as many expect, the WBC will demand negotiations begin over a bout between him and Wilder.
For Povetkin, it’d be a brilliant opportunity, but FightNights.com thinks that for Wilder, a win over the Russian would be decisive in his career:
Wilder would be taking a big step up in class against Povetkin. Molina and Duhaupas are both game fighters, but neither were really expected to pose any major problems for the champion. Now, if Wilder is to cement his reputation as one of the very best heavyweights, it’s important he fights a credible contender in the mould of Povetkin.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated paid tribute to Wilder, but insisted it’s imperative he starts to fight opponents of a higher standard:
Admittedly, the same can be said for Povetkin, who, despite the aggressive displays in the aforementioned bouts, has also faced opponents a few levels below him since Klitschko. The size and reach advantage Wilder possesses would also present the Russian with a new challenge, but he’s a worthy No. 2 in the heavyweight division at the moment.
It’s what would make this fight such an intriguing one. The styles of both fighters seem to marry well for an aesthetic occasion, and both know that if they were to win this one, their reputation would be enriched, and big opportunities would lie in wait in the months to come.
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