One last thing I'd like to add about Wlad/Povetkin. The Ring conveniently removed Vitali on September 10th 2013, as he had been inactive for 1 year as of the 8th of September 2013, they basically manipulated the rankings to allow the Wlad/Povetkin fight to be for their title.

Now many other fighters in their rankings throughout history have been given extensions or been kept rated for longer than the 367 days Vitali was given. And as I have pointed out Vitali was still WBC champ until December 2013. Wlad/Povetkin took place in October 2013.

Keith Thurman for example is still rated #1 by The Ring after almost 18 months inactive.

That evidence alone highlights that Wlad/Povetkin was not a fight between #1 and #2, as I doubt anyone would have rated Povetkin ahead of Vitali.