It’s fair to say the majority of boxing fans weren’t expecting an upset in Povetkin vs Perez last night. But a 1st round TKO? Not so much.
It happened, though. And violent it was.
In Moscow, Russia, Alexander Povetkin (29-1, 21 KO) made easy work of opponent Mike Perez. With the stoppage coming at such an early stage, it’s hard to say just how over-matched Cuba’s Perez (21-2-1, 13 KO) really was. Most spectators won’t have a hard time concluding the Cuban was simply out of his depth, however.
After just 91 seconds, it was blindingly clear this was never going to be a fight Perez was going to win, let alone see the final bell. Povetkin was too solid. Perez simply too green.
It was all thanks to Povetkin’s greater experience and wrecking-ball right-hand. Not long after the bell, the Russian tagged Perez with a straight-right that buckled the knees of Perez. Never was the Cuban to be let off the hook.
Perez tried to close the gap but was spun off by Povetkin who threw a crunching right into his stumbling opponent’s jaw. The single shot stiffened Perez’s legs and issued him an express ticket to the canvas.
Perez bravely regained his footing but was clearly in cuckoo-land, his eyes glazed with jellified legs. Why referee Massimo Barrovecchio let the action continue is anyone’s guess. Povetkin of course closed the show without mercy, dropping a defenseless Perez for the final time.
Povetkin now steps into the WBC Mandatory Challenger position. As fight fans know, ‘Mandatory Challenger’ often puts little pressure on champions, often equating more to ‘Optional Challenger’.
Povetkin is Mandatory, nonetheless. Meaning, should Deontay Wilder get past Eric Molina on June 13th, we could be about see Wilder vs Povetkin sometime soon. That Heavyweight fight isn’t salivating exactly, but should get enough eyes tuning in.
Due to Povetkin’s Russian residence, negotiations may face some obstacles. Wilder is established firmly in the US (after dethroning Bermane Stiverne), and Povetkin equally as much in his homeland of Russia. This could lead to neither man wanting to travel and/or take a purse cut.
We’ll see soon enough.
Undercard action saw Grigory Drozd retain his WBC Cruiserweight title after stopping stand-in challenger Lukasz Janik. The 9th round TKO followed a shut-out for Drozd on the scorecards, which wasn’t hard to forsee given his limited opponent. An ill Krzysztof Wlodarczyk had been originally billed.
Let us know your thoughts on Povetkin vs Perez in the comments below, fight fans!
The BoxingBase.com writing staff provide worldwide boxing news, coverage and analysis – they can be contacted via email and social media.
