This Saturday in Berlin Germany, “Fast” Eddie Chambers (30-0 16 KO’s) and Alexander Povetkin (14-0 11 KO’s) will fight each other for the right to fight IBF champion and generally regarded best heavyweight in the world, Wladimir Klitschko. While that task alone may be too much for either of these two fighters doesn’t mean that neither one of them won’t covet the opportunity.
At first glance it may seem like a mismatch because Chambers has 16 more pro fights than Povetkin, but that is certainly not the case. Despite the big discrepancy in fights, Povetkin arguably has the better resume. Even before we get to the professional record, Povetkin had one of the most decorated amateur careers in the history of the sport, caped off with a gold medal in the super heavyweight division in the 2004 Olympic Games. In just his sixth pro fight he knocked out 17-1 Richard Bango. In his next fight he beat respected heavyweight Friday Ahunaya by six round decision. In his last two fights along he beat former title challenger Larry Donald by a ten round shutout decision and in the first round of this IBF elimination tournament, he completely dominated former IBF champion Chris Byrd by 11th round TKO.
The closest Chambers has came to beating fighters aligned with Povetkin is his first round IBF victory over Calvin Brock, by split decision. At times in that fight Chambers seemed either tired, or unwilling to engage against a Brock who didn’t exactly seem thrilled to be there. Brock came in at a career high 241, and at times during the fight looked simply uninterested. Chambers only other noticeable win came against a much declined Dominic Guinn.
Against Povetkin, Chambers can not afford to take a second off, let alone complete rounds, as he appeared to do against Brock. Povetkin has been compared to a young Evander Holyfield. He is relentless, wanting to attack the body and the head, and appears to take a decent shot. Chambers, as his nickname suggests, is indeed fast, but he has very little power. Despite being a “boxer” he likes to stay stationary and rely on his hand speed. Even though Byrd has declined in the recent years, it’s safe to say that Chambers and Byrd are similar fighters. I feel Povetkin is a strong favorite in this fight. He has the better amateur record, the better professional record, and the “home court” advantage, as he’ll be fighting in Germany for the 13th time. While I know little about either’s chin, I feel that Chambers has virtually no shot of phasing Povetkin, while I feel Povetkin is capable of knocking just about anybody out.
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