Alexander Povetkin v Bermane Stiverne

[Master]

Alexander Povetkin battles Bermane Stiverne for right to challenge WBC king Deontay Wilder

WBC champion Deontay Wilder will find out his mandatory challenger when Alexander Povetkin fights Bermane Stiverne this Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

The American heavyweight will be ordered to defend his title against the winner of Povetkin's WBC final eliminator against Stiverne in Russia, with live coverage starting at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 4.

Povetkin received home advantage after his promoters tabled a reported purse bid of $3million and has rebuilt his reputation with four straight stoppage wins after his first defeat, a one-sided stoppage by Wladimir Klitschko in 2013.

Alexander Povetkin battles Bermane Stiverne for right to challenge WBC king Deontay Wilder | Boxing News | Sky Sports

[brocktonblockbust]

Alexander Povetkin battles Bermane Stiverne for right to challenge WBC king Deontay Wilder

WBC champion Deontay Wilder will find out his mandatory challenger when Alexander Povetkin fights Bermane Stiverne this Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

The American heavyweight will be ordered to defend his title against the winner of Povetkin's WBC final eliminator against Stiverne in Russia, with live coverage starting at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 4.

Povetkin received home advantage after his promoters tabled a reported purse bid of $3million and has rebuilt his reputation with four straight stoppage wins after his first defeat, a one-sided stoppage by Wladimir Klitschko in 2013.

Alexander Povetkin battles Bermane Stiverne for right to challenge WBC king Deontay Wilder | Boxing News | Sky Sports

Stiverne was oddly inactive during that Wilder fight. I think Bermaine will regain the title somehow.

[Beanz]

WBC pulls sanctioning and looks like the fight will probably be called off

Stiverne is Furious: Povetkin Fight is OFF - I'm Heading Home! - Boxing News

[ross]

He's wasting everyone's time!

maybe Stiverne can now face Arreola agin like Wilder did!

Povetkin can face Browne (who it looks like has come off Twitter) for the steroid championship of the world.

[Master]

Povetkin needs to be banned for life.

[ross]

Stiverne has refused to fight, fair play but Iv just read Johan Duhaupas is stepping in to face Povetkin instead. He was supposed to be fighting Takam January 28 and hasn't fought since knocking Helenius out in April. Will he even be fit on a few hours notice?

[Freedom]

What makes no sense is why the positive result was announced after the weigh-in for the fight.

And Povetkin tested negative 5 times before the positive result.

Something doesn't add up. How do you get busted on a test just before the fight but not tests leading up to it? It's like he juiced the day before the fight - but that wouldn't do anything for him, it takes time to work. Some might use an illegal substance to make weight, but this was heavyweight so weight is not an issue.

Either VADA is incompetent (some of their testing that should have busted him a long time ago, didn't) or corrupt (they purposely withheld failed tests until the last minute). And while I'm not claiming this as a fact, a third possibility that VADA falsifies results.

And if he was using, why did Povetkin agree to VADA? No one was forcing you him to do it, so why even take the risk?

[p4pking]

I read it was a Dec 6th test that Povetkin failed. He just knocked Duhpas out in 6 apparently. What I don't understand is how he was even allowed to fight anyone, never mind the WBC not sanctioning it, what kind of policy does the commission have, if any? At this point you can't really defend Povetkin as anything but a drug cheat, shame as he's a good fighter and I would have liked to see his last couple of fights come off.

[palmerq]

nice knockout 27.18 for the ko... Duhaupass was out cold. I wish povetkin would stop taking drugs, he's never going to get another title shot

[p4pking]

Nor should he. He's also 37 or so, who knows whether he can train to fight at a high level without PEDs at this point? Can anyone tell me another time a guy has failed a drug test and still been allowed to fight, let alone against a last minute replacement? Suppose Duhpas was seriously hurt today, why even bother with testing if this is allowed to come of it? Ridiculous.

[Spicoli]

What an absolute idiot..and he's still allowed to fight Now that's a clown show. The wbc preserves it's title but still collects and affords him a payday .He should be forced to reimburse facilities, officials and the camps of Wilder and Stiverne as well as letting both chin him in the parking lot.

[imp]

How many lives does this Russian get?!

Ban him from the sport!!

[VG_Addict]

Don't see what the big deal is. The majority of top athletes use PEDs.

[Memphis]

It never ceases to amaze how flippant people are with fighters safety, fighters being the main culprit might I add. How many people do you think were complicit in Povetkin smashing Duhaupas face in? Literally dozens of people thought it was OK for one dude who was jacked up to the eyeballs, to hammer a guy who was decent, but out of shape.

Agreed with @Freedom

Something seriously fucked up is going on.

[Nameless]

If ever that fight happens, I think that Stiverne sends Povy to dreamland. I lost a lot of confidence in Povy and is last performances to not impress me at all.