Lyle's take on Povetkin-Chambers

[El Kabong]

OK so the fight went well for both fighters EVENTUALLY. Chambers did extremely well in the begining and on defense throughout the fight and Povetkin showed enormous heart to come back the way he did.

'Fast' Eddie Chambers LOST THAT FIGHT...when he threw punches he got the better of Povetkin and he did a lot better than I thought he would do. He swole up Povetkin's eye with relative ease and seemed to effectively hit Povetkin when he threw punches, very few were blocked but then again very few were thrown. Now even though Eddie lost this fight he can still capitalize on the good match he had before he stopped throwing punches and started fighting lazy. I can see Chambers fighting any of the top heavyweights and giving them a hard fight but he needs a big win and I would say someone like Tony Thompson or John Ruiz gives him that chance. If Eddie learns to turn on the offense in the later parts of a fight or even fight for 8 rounds the way he fought for 4 rounds then he's a title contender and maybe an eventual title holder but he has to step his game up on offense.


Alex Povetkin looked amateurish for the majority of the bout but his heart carried him to victory. He's not the saveior of the heavyweight division by any stretch of the imagination. He seems to be more along the lines of Sultan and Chagaev instead of Klitschko, Lewis, or Tyson when it comes to talent. Heart will win him only so many fights there are some (like his next bout) he's going to have to win on skill. Povetkin was shown in a clearer light the other night and now he has lost the aura of power and inevitability as a top heavyweight titlist....he was easily countered and he did waste many punches but only in an effort to steal the fight from Chambers who in a way just let him have it.


All that really needs to be understood here is that lump under Povetkin's eye.....that was a 6'1 219 pound defensive fighter with a 50% KO ratio that put that there.......it makes me worry that when Wladimir Klitschko lands that big right cross of his then Povetkin's head may explode

[RozzySean]

Chambers needs to buy himself some running shoes, get off James Toney's diet program, and get his ass down to Cruiser where he could be a force of nature.

I really like Chambers. I like his skill, his counterpunching, and his speed. If previous fights, I like his combo's. I was rooting for him hard last night, but he's just too small to be a real modern HW. I don't think he was lazy last night. I think he was scared to get hit, and I think he got discouraged when his sharp counters didn't slow Povetkin down. Then he was waiting for Povetkin to get gassed, and when that didn't happen, all that pounding on his arms had taken his toll and he realized that if he got caught flush he was in trouble. He didn't have the bullets in the gun for late push with Povetkin continuing to keep up the pace.

So seriously, the guy needs to do some running if he wants to be a world champ, otherwise, he'll have a nice little career of beating up pretenders and journeymen. If he stays at heavy, he MAY be able to hange around an pick up an alphabet strap (hell, Lyahovich SP? and Shannon Briggs did), but he would really be better off at Cruiser.

As for Povetkin - the current Wlad will kill him. Povetkin would have had a chance against the old Wlad, but I think he's evolved enough and Povetkin leaves himself open enough that Wlad's right is going to land it's going to do more than leave a mouse under the eye. I'm hoping Wlad fights Tony Thompson after the Sultan fight and puts off Povetkin. Tony will be his WBO mandatory then, and The Tiger deserves a shot.

[El Kabong]

Chambers has done this sort of thing before and made fights close that really weren't, the Brock and Guinn fights were very easy for him but he didn't try and make those fighters look bad and that is a shame.

I like Eddie Chambers too and yeah he's a chubby 219 but let's be real the money is at heavyweight for him.

Povetkin looks to have a ton of heart but he's lacking in all areas and Wladimir will take advantage of his flaws.


Alex does look like he would be a tough fight for Chagaev and Ibragimov eventually but he seems to have taken too big of a challenge this early in his career by fighting Chambers. I would like to see him fight some power punchers and some harder styles before Wladimir destroys him

[RozzySean]

Chambers has done this sort of thing before and made fights close that really weren't, the Brock and Guinn fights were very easy for him but he didn't try and make those fighters look bad and that is a shame.

I like Eddie Chambers too and yeah he's a chubby 219 but let's be real the money is at heavyweight for him.

Povetkin looks to have a ton of heart but he's lacking in all areas and Wladimir will take advantage of his flaws.


Alex does look like he would be a tough fight for Chagaev and Ibragimov eventually but he seems to have taken too big of a challenge this early in his career by fighting Chambers. I would like to see him fight some power punchers and some harder styles before Wladimir destroys him

Fair enough. Chambers will make more money as a pretty good HW than as a great CW. Sad but true. It would be better for Alex to put off his date with Wlad and get in one or two fights with larger guys. The winner of Ruiz/McCline in March would be a good choice. Maybe Andrew Golata - that would probably be a big $$ fight in Germany with Andrew coming off a few wins.

I think either Eddie or Alex would be tough fights for Sultan or Chagaev, but I can't see either one beating Wlad at this point. Alex might have a shot in time if he can improve his defense enough to take Wlad into deep waters, but at his present skill level, he won't make it that far.

[CutMeMick]

I can see Chambers fighting any of the top heavyweights and giving them a hard fight but he needs a big win and I would say someone like Tony Thompson or John Ruiz gives him that chance.

I strongly disagree here.... Tony would outpoint Eddie.
I think Tonys got enough to beat Eddie.
Eddie needs someone like Fields or Meehan.

[El Kabong]

Maybe you're right Mick....but in order to challenge some of the top heavyweights he's going to have to deal with size and awkward styles eventually.

Lyakhovich would be a good test for Chambers as would Krasniqi....I could see Eddie giving tons of trouble to Sam Peter though

[Violent Demise]

Wlad would/will crush Povetkin

[1magine]

i guess im the only one that believes povetkin has the style to KO wlad
i say go for it povetkin, screw the tune up fights

[El Kabong]

i guess im the only one that believes povetkin has the style to KO wlad
i say go for it povetkin, screw the tune up fights

...well don't be shocked when Povetkin gets absolutely demolished

What style do you think beats Wlad

[1magine]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ok06RhrJA0E

except that povetkin is 2x better

[El Kabong]

.....well you're irrational because there's one thing Lamon Brewster can do that Povetkin can't and that's TAKE PUNISHMENT.

Povetkin got smacked around by a TINY heavyweight he got swole up and a black eye from a guy who is 6'1 and a flabby 219 pounds and he had 16 KO's in 30 fights.


1magine, I want you to really put all your eggs in the Alexander Povetkin basket because when Wladimir lands that first right cross that damn near snaps Povetkin's head off I want it to hurt you as much as it hurts Povetkin




And who is the biggest power puncher Povetkin has fought? It's looking like maybe Larry Donald or Chris Byrd.....maybe even Eddie Chambers....this doesn't bode well for the White Lion

[1magine]

talk about getting personal buddy. its more/less who i want to win.
i acknowledge wladimir's skill and power and i know he's the favourite but who wouldve thought that samuel peters wouldve done as well as he did?
povetkin is much much better than that crappy samuel peters.
it's unfair to judge povetkin based on his most recent performance. chambers has awesome winky wright like defense which is very hard to penetrate and his accuracy is next to none which makes his punches that much more powerful. i know hes not a powerful puncher compared to wlad but his accuracy more than makes up for it.
povetkin has more than a punchers chance against wlad. i believe that he CAN win, therefore i will believe that he WILL win.

[El Kabong]

....I'm not only judging Povetkin on his last fight, I'm judging him on all other fights too.

Eddie Chambers has good defense no one will take that away from him but if you can't find openings then you have to make them either by moving or by using your strength and size and Povetkin for the most part fought Chambers' fight and took the hard road to victory....he didn't make Eddie fight his fight and that's bad, that's a young person mistake, that's a guy with under 20 pro fights mistake and that won't change without meaningful rounds in the ring.

Povetkin has an extensive amateur career....let's put that aside because it means fuck all in the pros. He has 15 fights and he's 28 years old. He's not ready for Wladimir he's no where near ready for Wladimir. You have to admire his guts for taking such big risks with his career thusfar but he hasn't fought ANY big time power punchers or even journeymen who had some pop.....this is going to be a very rude awakening Wladimir is 31 he has 52 professional fights 49 wins, 44 by KO....throwing a fighter with under 20 total fights in with him is like sending those guys to swim with Jaws!

Povetkin has thusfar beaten fighters who don't hit back....Wladimir has faced his deamons and he stood tall in victory afterwards, he has atoned one loss and he battered Sam Peter around the ring despite being knocked down 3 times....that night he told the world something he showed everyone his heart and his strength and that fight changed his mentality.

Let us not forget that Sam Peter was the "heir apparent" at that time and NOBODY wanted to fight him and Wladimir coming off a huge defeat came back from the dead and just absolutely whipped his ass....you could make a case that some of those rounds where he was knocked down he might not have lost

[1magine]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=3217025

[El Kabong]

Exactly.....I'm not impressed with Povetkin YET but I don't EVER see him challenging Wladimir in a close fight unless something happens to Wlad that suddenly makes him really old, slow, and inefficient. Even if Povetkin sures up his punching and his defense he's going to have to add a new dimension to his game before he's able to beat Wlad

I think Povetkin could eventually beat the likes of Ibragimov, Chagaev, and the smaller or less talented heavyweights...even Lyakhovich or Valuev.

I just fear taking this jump right now could ruin Povetkin's career