Povetkin: for the fight with Klitschko we had to prepare with Kostya Tszyu
Alexander Povetkin began preparing for his next fight - he talked about this and much more in an interview.
WBC Silver heavyweight champion 35-year-old Russian Alexander Povetkin(28-1-0, 20 KOs), ranked number one by the WBC, has begun preparing for his next fight, which is scheduled for May. The 29-year-old Cuban is considered as a possible opponent of the Russian Knight Mike Perez(21-1-1, 13 KOs). In an interview with “Championship”, Alexander spoke about the mood with which he approaches the new fighting year, which promises to be largely decisive for him, evaluates potential opponents, tells what he would like to change from what happened in his life earlier, indicating the main goal in sports and in life.
Alexander, you recently resumed your full training process. How do you feel about starting one of the most important periods in your sports career?
- It is with great pleasure that I begin the preparatory process. Glad to be back in a regular work rhythm, I miss you. From the very beginning of the year, we began to actively train - running and jumping. We studied physics closely. Now we have a big training camp ahead of us in preparation for the fight, which we will hold in Kazakhstan. I’m in a great mood, I have a desire to work and fight.
- You had a fairly long pause between fights, didn’t the downtime go on too long?
- No, everything is okay. Somewhere a pause was necessary to take a breath, regain strength, and look around. In addition, everything here directly depends on the battles. For example, if you played a round or two and won quickly, that’s one thing. And if you sweat a lot, then recovery will require much more effort and time. My last opponents were quite serious. Although I won both fights ahead of schedule, a lot of effort was expended in these fights. In addition, you should not discount the process of preparing for battle. After all, out of these six months, I spend three at training camps. If I box more often, there will be less time for rest and preparation. And perhaps all this will start to bore me, so now I stick to the right rhythm.
- What positive changes have occurred to you since you started collaborating with Ivan Kirpa?
- The most important thing is that Ivan and I have mutual understanding. If I don’t agree or am unsure about something, I can always discuss it with him. We can express our positions to each other and come to one thing. I became calmer, more confident and definitely more physically powerful. We began to pay a lot of attention to physics. I think we're doing a great job and the fights reflect everything we do.
Can you say that the relatively young specialist Kirpa has become a much more significant figure for you than your previous, older and more experienced mentors: Belov, Atlas, Tszyu?
- From a tactical point of view, Valery Ivanovich Belov, Teddy Atlas, and Kostya Tszyu were good coaches. Boxing is boxing; it is a rather specific sport in which the role of the coach is multifaceted. Sometimes what is important is not even advice on technique or tactics, but simply the right words that can convey the right idea. This is a very delicate and complex process. After the passage of time, I am convinced that it was necessary to prepare for the fight with Vladimir Klitschko under the leadership of Kostya Tszyu. Physically and tactically, he would have prepared me better than these Americans... But everything happened the way it happened, I don’t want to blame anyone but myself.
- Do you often remember that fight?
- To be honest, no. It happened and passed, I made conclusions, I move on.
Questions regarding a possible imminent rematch with Klitschko and your readiness for it have probably already set your teeth on edge?
- I was never fixated on Klitschko. There was no such thing that I didn’t want or wanted to box with him. There will be an opportunity, I will go out and do everything to win. If I don’t get a second chance, then I’ll fight with others. Vladimir won his last fight fairly. I have nothing to talk about or make excuses for. I was weaker.
- What do you regret most, what would you like to change from what happened earlier in your life?
- Nothing. I don't want to change anything. Even if there were some mistakes, they pushed me to correct them and made me who I am now.
In the upcoming fight, would you like to see Mike Perez as an opponent for the fight to receive WBC “eliminator” status, or would you prefer an intermediate fight?
- I don’t see the point in holding an intermediate fight, it’s better to fight Perez right away in order to move on and get a title fight. And to be honest, I don’t want to think about it. I will fight whatever opponent they give me: be it Perez or someone else. I never thought about who I want and who I don’t want to get into the ring with. I have never been involved in choosing opponents.
- Describe Perez.
- A good, strong boxer who deserves respect.
- What do you think about the newly-crowned WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who took the belt from Stiverne?
- I didn’t watch that fight. If Wilder became world champion, it means he is definitely a good boxer. I wouldn't be a bad world champion. I saw his fight with Sergei Lyakhovich. He's a real hard-hitting guy.
- Does the prospect of a confrontation with this particular hitting guy intrigue you?
- An interesting opponent, the fight would be spectacular. Now I don’t think about it, all my thoughts are connected with the upcoming training camp. Andrei Mikhailovich Ryabinsky is negotiating with several potential opponents. In the near future he will say who exactly I will fight in May.
- What is your main goal in sports and in life?
- There are no limits to perfection, so there is always something to strive for. In sports, I strive to become the strongest and win against all the strongest. In life I want to be a support and protection for my family.
Alexander Povetkin
Vladimir Klichko
Kostya Tszyu
Sasha and Denis need to change their technique. Well, you can’t box so straightforwardly! There was no “strong and tough” guy like Guillermo Jones for Povetkin, but there was one for Lebedev. Although I think Denis is a little better than Povetkin. Whatever one may say, his opponents were much higher class, even though they were worse than old stumps. Both have unqualified commands. Only Kostya “pulls” them out of the swamp. Otherwise they would have lost it too. Povetkin boxed much better at the beginning of his career. You know, I thought... But if “under-Vityaz” had met Fury, as V.V. claimed. Khryunov, tryndobaza could have been killed by Sashka. And what?! The speed of the Briton is clearly better, the power of the blow also doesn’t seem to be lame... Povetkin with his “low blows to the jaw” would not have achieved anything. The guys need experience - meeting with strong opponents - it doesn’t matter whether they lose to them or not - the main thing is that they will have experience, perhaps a different approach to the game. And so, of course: they are used to beating veterans - and then bam! - a strong opponent. And/oops to the guys. It’s not necessary, after all, to fight someone like Klitschko, like Sasha. He simply has no way out, the poor guy. But Denis Lebedev has a huge solution:
1. Rematch with Jones
2. Rematch with Hook
3. Fight with Afolabi
The first one can take place, since both have something to prove. Especially Lebedev. By demonstrating smart boxing, defensive actions (all improved, all improved), he will be able to prove everything to many.
A rematch with Hook is a very interesting option. Marco has become a better boxer, that's undeniable - watch the third fight with Afolabi. In the first meeting, Denis pretty much crushed the German. And he broke his ribs, and in general he cleaned up the “nickel” “good”. But since then, the Russian’s career has taken off. Khryunov began to bring famous opponents, he began to become a star in Russia and a famous fighter in Germany. Hook continued to fight on “fascist” soil. Just fight. Either he beat the bags, or barely “bounced back” from defeats in home games. As with Afolabi (2), Arslan, the same Lebedev. Both began to box better and, as for me, this option is even more interesting than the first. You will get angry) It’s just that in the first fight, the “more interesting” thing was the injury, the situation, and in general everything that happened outside the squares of the ring, not just boxing. If we talk about boxing, it was quite simple in the performance of Lebedev and cunning, but also simple-minded in the performance of Guillermo. With Hook there would be a battle of schools, a battle of countries. With Guillermo it's a battle of characters.
The fight with Afolabi will never take place at all - I am 100% sure of this. Firstly, Lebedev clearly has no time for him now, because he needs to “lick his wounds”: either by having a rematch with the Panamanian, or by fighting with vague opposition. And Ola’s promoters, the Klitschko brothers’ company K2, clearly do not want to cooperate with Khryunov Promotions. But if there is a fight, Kryptonite will outplay a simple Lebedev, although he can knock out the Briton - he has a strong blow. Why didn’t he include Polish WBC champion Knysztof Wlodarczyk in this list? Now he has a meeting with Rakhim Chakhkiev, and it is far from certain that he will return to his country with a green strap.
Maria Command met with Kostya Tszyu and talked to him about the Klitschko-Povetkin fight, found out why he gave up his career as a deputy, and found out who the best boxer in the world is right now.
- Your fighting weight is 63 kilograms, but how much does Kostya Tszyu weigh now?
- I will not say. I don’t know, or rather... Well, over 80, probably.
- We should have come to the interview with scales.
“Would you make me stand on them?” I'm allergic to weighing. A person consumes 500 grams per night. Due to my high metabolism, it takes me up to a kilogram.
- So you're lucky.
- No, no luck, this is work. This is training your body to sweat. I had a record: I moved 10 kilograms back and forth a day.
How did you feel when you found out that the Klitschko-Povetkin fight was postponed for the umpteenth time? Will it ever happen? It’s just, you know, it seems that Vladimir Klitschko doesn’t really need him, otherwise why would he put him off all the time.
- It's called business. This is called professional boxing. This is a certain game. The fight can take place at any time. Here everything is decided by who gets how much.
- Judging by your words, the longer the battle is delayed, the more expensive it costs.
– I joined Povetkin’s team only last year. I was not aware of those cases that happened before me, and even now I do not have all the information for the simple reason that I am only Sasha’s coach. Maybe someday, at his request and our agreement, I will increase my powers. But at this stage I am only a coach. Maybe it's time to create your own promotion company. But Sasha has a contract with the Germans for the moment, so they have to play the whole game, and I don’t know it.
You said that as Povetkin's coach, you will allow him to fight Klitschko only when he is physically and mentally ready for this fight. Is now the time?
- Sashka is ready. Mentally, he is ready to go out and win the fight against Volodya.
From a psychological point of view, Sasha is a very interesting person. He needs something to constantly spur him on. So the fight with Klitschko - is this the very emotional boost that he so needs?
– You know, the most important thing is to prove to yourself that you can. The fight with Klitschko is a kind of pinnacle of his career. He is strong, he must motivate himself, prepare himself for this fight. But for now I’m not setting him up for this fight, and I’m not advising him, because there are no agreements, and I just don’t want to burn out.
“Sashka is mentally ready to go out and win the fight against Volodya”
-Are you really thinking about creating a promotion company?
– I was involved in promotion, my tournaments were held, we started doing this more than ten years ago. But everyone needs to do it one hundred percent, we need to select a team. You know, I am the flag that people will follow.
- Yes, you are the banner, of course.
– I have experience, I have knowledge, and I am a flag. These three components are already a guarantee of something. The next stage is a serious financial component, this is the selection of people who will carry out routine work. I'll tell you that I don't have time for this yet. I think the time has come when the country needs the experience that I gained by performing myself and holding tournaments.
Kostya, have you ever been attracted by the path that Nikolai Valuev took? You were probably offered to become Vladimir Putin’s confidant.
– I have had offers to join the deputy corps, but I do not want this direction yet. I do what I do and I love it. I value the freedom that I have. I am not interested in high powers, and the highest reward I have received is the pure love of people, which comes from the heart. Therefore, being a deputy and doing some things... Maybe this is good, but at this stage of my life I am not yet ready for this.
- Do you think you will lose people's love if you become a deputy?
- No. I think I won’t lose, but, you know, there shouldn’t be politics in sports. This is that I do not have the right, first of all moral, to make any political statements. I have supporters in every party, and to maintain the right direction I need to be a neutral person.
- Who is the best boxer in the world at the moment?
– Floyd Mayweather, I think, is the strongest boxer in the world. He is the only undefeated, he collects the biggest purses. Last year, for example, after only two fights, he became the highest paid athlete.
- He even overtook Tiger Woods on this list.
– He earned 85 million in just two fights.
- Could you meet Floyd Mayweather in the ring? For example, at the beginning of the 2000s.
– Our first meeting was in 1996, I think, in Las Vegas.
- Well, then he was not yet the highest paid boxer.
– He was a beginner boxer, yes. I then signed a contract with Bob Arum. We then had a fashion for everything big, I had a chain with large gloves, they weighed about 800 grams. He looked at her with admiration, and I told him: “You, my friend, will still earn yours.” He then competed in the featherweight category. He gained weight, changed categories, but I still remained at the same weight. At one point we could have gotten together, but I had a contract with the ShowTime channel, and he went straight to HBO. And so we could theoretically meet, but practically not. When I reigned on my throne, he was in a different weight class.
Every great boxer has his own trick: look at Tyson, look at yourself in the mirror. Don’t you think that modern boxers, like Sasha Povetkin and Denis Lebedev, just lack this very trick?
– Everyone should be an individual, I completely agree with you on this. This is one of the reasons why I started growing my braids back in 1988. I didn't want to be like everyone else... You probably still don’t remember this time well.
- I think your pigtail and I are exactly the same age.
-Somewhere even like that. I remember the first times when I started traveling abroad. Nowadays it’s normal to wear jeans with holes, many people do this. When I came to the City Executive Committee in 1985 in this form, in dumplings, an old woman, one of the cleaners, came up to me and began to wipe my pants. “Son, maybe you got your pants dirty, oh, they’re so stuck to you…” I I was different, I didn’t want to be like everyone else. At that moment I listened to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” for the first time. I didn't want to be another brick in the wall, so I chose my own path. The braid, the way I looked, the way I spoke – I wanted to be an individual.
- Do you still have a love for Pink Floyd, for the Alan Parker film?
– Yes, I still have Pink Floyd; I recently listened to their main recordings, The Wall, and The Dark Side of the Moon.
“I didn’t want to be another brick in the wall, so I chose my own path.”
- How do people react to you in the checkout line at the supermarket?
- Differently. Sometimes they are shocked, sometimes they just don’t recognize it. They just can't believe it's me.
- Bone, what is the most inappropriate reaction you have encountered?
– There are a lot of reactions. Autographs, photographs - this is all the time... I can quite easily be unrecognizable. I am correct in the sense that I hate injustice and wrongness in relation to anything. This is where my stardom sometimes helps me. I can solve the fight against disorder and injustice with its help.
I get the impression that you have complete order in your head, that everything is laid out on the shelves. To what extent can you convey your vision, your attitude to young boxers, or is it simply impossible? The same Lebedev, the same Povetkin?
– Possibly, but very difficult. We were born in different generations. And no matter how banal it may sound, it is true.
-Why are you like this?
“I’m not like that, but they are different.” I have to adapt to them, I am their mentor. I told myself that I would make a big mistake if I compared myself to anyone.
- What kind of boxer should be now in order to achieve the highest results?
-First of all, hungry. Hunger has a certain value. Hunger, desire, desire to achieve goals.
- Do you still have this hunger, not even in boxing, in life?
- Yes, sure. Because I have high goals. Setting a high goal in life and achieving this goal through everyday, every second work. Every day, no breaks, no time to rest. Go towards this goal every day, then you will achieve it.
You can enjoy the full version of the conversation with Kostya Tszyu right now:
PS. On Monday, our channel aired the first detailed interview with Rasul Mirzaev after the verdict was announced.
Here is a small excerpt from this interview:
- I can’t get into the right mood for work right now; after this incident, my soul is not at peace. I can’t get in the right mood for fights because I haven’t come to my senses yet. His parents also give him no peace.
- Did you talk after that?
- No.
- They don't want to talk to you?
- Yes, I want to, but they don't even want to listen to me. You could at least talk to me.
- What would you tell them?
- What should I tell them, judging like this? They cannot return their son, and I, as a father, know these feelings. He won't come back, I don't know what to tell them.
Now, as the father of a little daughter, I’ll ask you, how did they explain to your daughter what was happening to you? What does she know now?
- She is now 3.5 years old. She saw on TV, when they took her to me, she said: “Let go of my dad, bad guys!” The first time I came out, she hugged me tightly, looked into my eyes and cried. The child is 3.5 years old, he doesn’t seem to understand anything, but she looks at me, hugs me and says: “Dad, dad,” and doesn’t let go.
The entire interview with Mirzaev can be viewed here:
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