BY TIM PARSONS
The fight between American WBC heavyweight champion, Deontey Wilder, and Russian challenger, Alexander Povekin, is on hold after being postponed after the latter failed a drugs test press conference held by Andrey
Povetkin failed a drug test he took on April 27, but had passed two earlier tests. The WBC ruled that the fight previously scheduled for May 21st, could not take place, whilst they investigated the drugs failure. However, on this occasion, the World Boxing Association seem to be working on the premise that this may have been a genuine accident due to the possibility of similar ingredients existing in legal supplements that may also exist in banned substances. The tendency is generally to ban fighters who fail drugs test, but this particular WBC title fight is on hold, with the availability of a future date on the cards, whilst separate investigations continue.
ANNOUNCED
Wilder’s trainer had previously announced that the fight was completely off, an announcement that has enraged Povetkin’s management. Court action has been threatened if Wilder backs out of the fight. here is no reason Wilder has any reason to back out of the fight. He stands to earn about $4.5m from this fight, and likely to win an entertaining fight against a come forward aggressive heavyweight, beaten only once by Wladimir Klitschko. Povetkin will be a threat to Wilder, but the 6 inch advantage Wilder has over Povetkin, especially with his added big punch; makes him the one likely to win this clash when it happens.
He has no reason to run, and has expressed disappointment about the uncertainty surrounding the fight. It would have been Wilder’s biggest earner, against a man who will give it everything he has, but who should be at least, a slight underdog in this fight. Povetkin was to be fighting in his home time, Russia and would be under pressure to deliver in front of his home fans who will be watching a world heavyweight title fight take place in their country for the first time. They will be expecting Povetkin to deliver for them spectacularly, but Wilder, who himself has big ambitions in the sport, will be driven by other ideas.
DEFENSIVE
It would have been the third defense of Wilder of his WBC belt, and Povetkin’s second shot at the title. An ecstatic atmosphere was expected in just under a weeks time, but fans will have to wait for further announcements before knowing when the pair will eventually meet. Meanwhile all eyes will be on David Haye who fights in his third come back fight on the same day Wilder was due originally due to fight Povetin.
