Alexander Povetkin vs. Mike Perez: Originally U.S. boxing fans were going to have to miss Friday's WBC 12-round heavyweight title eliminator between Alexander Povetkin (28-1, 20 KO) and Mike Perez (21-1-1, 13 KO) or stream it online. ESPN2 saved the day though and they will air the fight via same-day tape before their Friday Night Fights card. The WBC has Povetkin and Perez ranked number one and two respectively, and the winner of this fight will be the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. This fight should be an interesting clash of styles. Povetkin is a power puncher while Perez like most of his fellow Cubans, is a slick boxer. Povetkin is probably best known for his unwatchable fight against Wladimir Klitschko. Povetkin came very close to landing his heavy overhand right against Klitschko which forced the champion to clinch and play it safe for most of the night. If Povetkin was just a few inches taller it may have been a very different fight. Since that loss Povetkin has gone 2-0 scoring impressive knockouts in each fight. For Perez, his most notable fight was a win against then undefeated Magomed Abdusalamov. Unfortunately that fight ended in tragedy and Abdusalamov's life will probably never be the same. Perez has gone 1-1-1 since that bout and has never looked the same. This will be a good chance for each fighter to reassert themselves into the heavyweight title mix and each needs to take full advantage of it. Povetkin is an orthodox fighter and while he will throw a jab it isn't a punch his opponents lose sleep over. It is the left hook and overhand right of Povetkin that his opponents worry about. Both punches land very hard and while his left hook will stun you his overhand right will put you to sleep. For a heavyweight Povetkin actually moves pretty well although he will back up on defense with his hands low, which is never a good idea. Perez is a much different pugilist than Povetkin is. For starters he is a southpaw and he doesn't carry much knockout power. Perez has a good long jab and a quick straight left hand that he is very accurate with. Perez also has a decent right hook but it is really his straight punches that are his best weapons, much like Povetkin and his crooked punches. Perez also has a bad habit of leaving his hands low and he will often throw combinations without any protection upstairs. Look for Povetkin to try to make this an inside fight where he can land his overhand right, while Perez will be trying to keep Povetkin on the end of his jab and straight left. Whoever controls the distance will win this fight and that will be Povetkin who will get the 11th round stoppage.
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