Alexander Povetkin vs Bermane Stiverne Preview December 17th
The Interim WBC Heavyweight Championship will be on the line in Russia this Saturday, December 17th when hometown hero Alexander Povetkin takes on Bermane Stiverne of Haiti. The regular WBC champ Deontay Wilder of America is sidelined with an injury and that’s why Povetkin and Stiverne are facing off. Wilder was set to meet Povetkin last May, but the fight was called off when there were some irregularities in the Russian’s drug test and Wilder has already faced and defeated Stiverne for the title Povetkin’s last bout was in November of 2015 when he beat Mariusz Wach by 12th-round TKO. Stiverne’s last outing was also in November of last year when he beat Derric Rossy by a 10-round unanimous decision.
Povetkin vs Stiverne Betting Odds
Here are the winner odds from online sportsbook 5dimes.eu
- Bermane Stiverne +900
- Alexander Povetkin -1375
My Pick
Both Povetkin and Stiverne are former world champions, so should be used to the hype surrounding the fight. Povetkin has won four bouts in a row by knockout and is a former WBA champ who won the title by decision against Ruslan Chagaev in 2011. Stiverne is a former WBC champ who fights out of Canada and lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Wilder in January of 2015. Povetkin is now 37 years old and his record currently stands at 30-1 with 22 Kos. His lone loss came against former heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko by 12-round unanimous decision in October of 2013.
Povetkin, an Olympic gold medalist in 2004, turned pro in 2005 and has 189 rounds under his belt. He stands 6-feet-2-inches tall and has a 75-inch reach. His power is probably underrated as he’s quite a heavy puncher with a current knockout ratio of 71 per cent. Povetkin’s biggest wins have been against the likes of Wach, Chagaev, Mike Perez, Carlos Takam, Manuel Charr, Hasim Rahman, Marco Huck, Nicolai Firtha, Eddie Chambers, Chris Byrd, Larry Donald and Friday Ahunanya. He needs to land something hard and heavy before Stiverne does on Saturday night to gain confidence and his opponent at bay.
The 38-year-old Stiverne will climb into the ring with an impressive record of 25-2-1 along with 21 Kos. Stiverne lost his title in a spirited fight against Wilder, but after the bout claimed he was suffering from dehydration. He’d love to get another crack at Wilder, but will have to get past Povetkin first. Stiverne’s other loss was a fourth-round stoppage by Demetrice King in July of 2007. The Haitian also stands 6-feet-2-inches tall and has a wingspan of 76 inches. He has 107 rounds under his belt since turning pro in 2005 and has an impressive knockout of 75 per cent. Stiverne has beaten the likes of Ray Austin and Chris Arreola twice. He has a pretty solid chin despite being stopped once, and his boxing skills are probably underrated by many.
Prediction…
Most fans are probably expecting a knockout on Saturday, but there’s also a chance it goes the distance. Neither boxer is actually an elite heavyweight when you look at the history of the division, but this could turn out to be an entertaining fight. No result should surprise anybody, but I’ll go with Povetkin by a stoppage.
This is a tossup, but Povetkin has the home advantage.
Play: Povetkin -1375 @ 5dimes.eu
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Alexander Povetkin betting • Bermane Stiverne betting