Draw in Russian-American confrontation
During the evening of professional boxing in Saudi Arabia, Alexander Povetkin could not get the better of unyielding Michael Hunter and thereby secure the status of the first contender for the WBA heavyweight title. The tense battle lasted all 12 rounds and did not reveal the winner. Each of the athletes was convinced of his superiority by one of the judges, and the third did not see the superiority of any of the fighters.
For Povetkin, this fight was fundamental for several reasons. First, he could once again return to the championship race and win the right to fight Manuel Charr for the regular title of the World Boxing Association (WBA). Secondly, he could once again prevail over a longtime opponent, Hasim Rahman, now training Hunter. The athletes met in 2012 and then the Russian won by knockout in the second round.
Even before the fight, the issue of Russian endurance was widely discussed. In September, he turned 40, which can not but affect his physical condition. This was evident even in the fight with Anthony Joshua, during which he was noticeably tired and lost control of the situation. Alexander became slower, more vulnerable and expectedly knocked out.
However, Hunter has also never been considered an ultra-hardy boxer. Many experts noted that he can hardly withstand long duels and usually sags noticeably in later rounds. And this despite the fact that the American is nine years younger than Povetkin and spent 18 fights less. Thus, the duel for the title of the mandatory challenger for the WBA title was supposed to show which of the athletes will be able to competently distribute forces over the distance.
Before the fight, Hunter was considered a boxer who prefers to act as the second number, and in case of an error, immediately knits his opponent in a clinch. But in the first minutes, the American surprised everyone gathered at the Diriya Arena by staging a real assault. He attacked the Russian and sent him to canvas, albeit not with a blow, but with a wrestling technique. True, Povetkin quickly came to his senses and leveled off the situation.
Starting from the second three minutes in the ring, a fierce and equal battle began. Opponents alternately differed in the most dangerous blows, each of which could well lead to a knockdown. So, Hunter great found the opponent’s head with the right straight, and Povetkin answered with a multi-way combination. At the same time, Michael’s actions bribed the ease and speed with which he threw powerful hooks. Alexander looked noticeably heavier than the enemy, and this despite the fact that he weighed only 1.3 kg more.
Gradually Povetkin felt for the distance and began to break through the opponent’s defense much more often. He worked great at the corps, fintil, after which he made signature attacks. But this time he worked with combinations, and did not rely on single shots, which made his attacks more unpredictable for Hunter. Gradually, Alexander seized the initiative, and in the fifth round he almost sent Michael to the floor of the ring. Three consecutive hooks on the left did not reach the target, and the fourth hit the American exactly in the jaw. He staggered, but the ropes saved him.
What a fight #PovetkinHunter was 🔥
How did you score it? pic.twitter.com/GXr1J81GLo
But already in the eighth segment of the fight, the Russians began to run out of strength. However, he himself did not hide this, actively discussing this topic with mentors. So, on the eve of the ninth stretch, he told the coach that he was not feeling the best way, noting that “everything was fine in the sparring”. Hunter instantly felt how slow Povetkin began to work, and hastened to take the battle into his own hands.
If the ninth and tenth rounds were held in a relatively equal fight, the 11th remained with Michael. He noted a large number of heavy hits, one of which could well lead to an early victory. Alexander began to back away, for which he was instantly punished by the most powerful right direct. But at a key moment, he demonstrated firmness and remained on his feet.
Povetkin was on the verge of defeat, but was able to get together and confidently spent the final three minutes. In the previous Hunter left too much power and allowed the opponent to regain confidence. The Russian looked more active, thanks to which he managed to influence the opinion of judges. As a result, one of them gave preference to Alexander, the second to Michael, and the third failed to determine the name of the triumph. Thus, Povetkin for the first time drew a duel and could not draw up the status of the first applicant.
Joshua's tactical victory
In the main fight of the evening, Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua met, and the World Heavyweight Championships according to the WBA, WBO and IBF versions were at stake. Six months ago, the Mexican presented the main sensation of the year and knocked out the eminent counterpart, which allowed him not only to write his name in history, but also to become an international sports star.
As it turned out, this played a trick on him. Ruiz significantly reduced his demands on himself and approached the most important battle in frankly poor form. He had not been famous for his slender, pumped up body, but managed to remain strong and fast, which was a real surprise for Joshua. In anticipation of this fight, he gained another seven kilograms - the scales showed 128.4 kg, and the attacks of the Mexican lost sparkle.
Joshua, on the contrary, decided not to step on the same rake twice and made a bet on ease and movement. For the sake of this, he noticeably "dried up", losing weight by almost five kilograms (107.5 kilograms). Thus, he clearly made it clear that he intended not to compete with Ruiz in the severity of the blows, but to box him. Perhaps it was for this that he consulted with Vladimir Klitschko, previously famous for this particular skill.
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As a result, even in the first rounds, it became clear that Joshua had chosen the right tactics. He completely refused dangerous exchanges, made a bet on active movements and attacks from a long distance. In general, the British tried to copy the Klitschko model, but at first he did not do it very skillfully. So, he rarely connected the jab, betting on hooks, which forced him to get too close to Ruiz. But that evening the Mexican could not even use such gifts. He barely moved around the ring, beat little, missed a lot and already in the opening he received a cut.
The subsequent rounds were held in the same vein, except that Anthony began to do his job more and more qualitatively. Over time, he connected the jab, which helped him to be much more confident in keeping Andy at a distance. The champion tried to “explode” with powerful right-handed crosses from a swoop, did not hesitate to hit the back of his head and ears, aggressively acted in the clinch, but all this was not enough.
Like Sergey Kovalev after a heavy defeat from Elader Alvarez, Joshua briefly forgot about entertainment and remembered the school of amateur boxing. Long-range strikes not only helped him keep his vis-a-vis close, but also seriously hit the Mexican psychology. Towards the middle of the battle, Ruiz seemed completely lost and became noticeably nervous because of his helplessness. He simply could not get to the applicant, and his lack of a plan was betrayed by his grimace.
One could expect that the Mexican would have pride leaping up and risk darting into a desperate offensive, but this did not happen. During the championship rounds, he continued to slowly pursue the Briton, who easily slipped away from his attacks. Joshua was elusive for Ruiz, and he continued to drive hard jabs and straight ones.
As a result of 12 rounds, none of the judges doubted the winner. Two gave Joshua a victory with a score of 118: 110, and another one even saw Ruiz’s advantage only during one three-minute period. Thus, Joshua took a convincing revenge for his failure in June and regained three champion titles.