Charles Martel
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From espn: http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12948588/james-degale-claims-vacant-world-title
Alexander Povetkin TKO 1 Mike Perez
Heavyweight title eliminator
Records: Povetkin (29-1, 21 KOs); Perez (21-2-1, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The 35-year-old Povetkin was a storied amateur, winning the Olympic super heavyweight gold medal for Russia in 2004 and eventually winning a secondary world title as a pro in 2011. But when he met Wladimir Klitschko, the real champion, in 2013, he got wiped out. Klitschko dropped him four times in a shutout decision win. Since that horrible performance, Povetkin has looked very sharp in his three fights since, all knockouts, against good opposition: Manuel Charr, Carlos Takam and Perez.
The win against Perez, however, was the most impressive of the run as he destroyed him in a mere 91 seconds to become the mandatory challenger for the belt held by American Deontay Wilder, who has a defense scheduled for June 13 against Eric Molina. Povetkin would be the favorite against either man.
Perez, a 29-year-old southpaw and a Cuban defector living in Ireland, was done basically in the blink of an eye. Povetkin staggered him badly with a heavy right hand a minute into the fight and then clobbered him with another one 10 seconds later.
That shot landed flush on the jaw and Perez, with his eyes rolling up in his head, never saw it and went down flat on his back. Perez struggled to his feet and looked out of it. Referee Massimo Barrovecchio could have stopped it but he gave Perez a chance to continue. It was pointless. Povetkin landed a halfhearted left hook and Perez, still messed up from the knockdown, flew into the ropes and went down again as Barrovecchio waved off the fight without a count. Perez was done before he ever really got started.
While Povetkin has earned his title shot, the loss was career debilitating for Perez, who had made a big deal about switching to trainer Robert Garcia for his last fight but then left him to train in Ireland for this one, which seemed like a bad mistake.
Perez dropped to 1-2-1 in his last four bouts and sadly (but understandably), he does not seem to have been the same fighter since his tragic win against Magomed Abdusalamov, who suffered a severe, life-altering brain injury in their November 2013 bout.
Alexander Povetkin TKO 1 Mike Perez
Heavyweight title eliminator
Records: Povetkin (29-1, 21 KOs); Perez (21-2-1, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The 35-year-old Povetkin was a storied amateur, winning the Olympic super heavyweight gold medal for Russia in 2004 and eventually winning a secondary world title as a pro in 2011. But when he met Wladimir Klitschko, the real champion, in 2013, he got wiped out. Klitschko dropped him four times in a shutout decision win. Since that horrible performance, Povetkin has looked very sharp in his three fights since, all knockouts, against good opposition: Manuel Charr, Carlos Takam and Perez.
The win against Perez, however, was the most impressive of the run as he destroyed him in a mere 91 seconds to become the mandatory challenger for the belt held by American Deontay Wilder, who has a defense scheduled for June 13 against Eric Molina. Povetkin would be the favorite against either man.
Perez, a 29-year-old southpaw and a Cuban defector living in Ireland, was done basically in the blink of an eye. Povetkin staggered him badly with a heavy right hand a minute into the fight and then clobbered him with another one 10 seconds later.
That shot landed flush on the jaw and Perez, with his eyes rolling up in his head, never saw it and went down flat on his back. Perez struggled to his feet and looked out of it. Referee Massimo Barrovecchio could have stopped it but he gave Perez a chance to continue. It was pointless. Povetkin landed a halfhearted left hook and Perez, still messed up from the knockdown, flew into the ropes and went down again as Barrovecchio waved off the fight without a count. Perez was done before he ever really got started.
While Povetkin has earned his title shot, the loss was career debilitating for Perez, who had made a big deal about switching to trainer Robert Garcia for his last fight but then left him to train in Ireland for this one, which seemed like a bad mistake.
Perez dropped to 1-2-1 in his last four bouts and sadly (but understandably), he does not seem to have been the same fighter since his tragic win against Magomed Abdusalamov, who suffered a severe, life-altering brain injury in their November 2013 bout.
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