PREFIGHT
For those that are interested, the countdown to Marquez-Pacquiao 2 will be aired on March 8th...mark your calendars. Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis says Povetkin should have the advantage since he's already been in the ring with slick boxers like Larry Donald and Chris Byrd. A dramatic ring entrance for Alexander Povetkin as he's led out by four women wearing uniforms, marching in unison and waving Russian flags. He looks extremely confident. Chambers enters next to the sounds of Kanye West's Good Life. Chambers looks confident as well and ready for the task at hand. "Und jetzt...meine Damen und Herren....LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
ROUND 1
Both men start off cautious. They trade stiff jabs. Chambers lands a left upstairs. Povetkin pressing forward. They trade jabs. Chambers lands a hard right hand followed by a left upstairs and Povetkin backs up. Now Povetkin lands a right upstairs and digs two hooks to the body. Quick 1-2 lands for Chambers. Both men land jabs to the body. Now Povetkin lands a jab to the body. Chambers keeps a tight defense upstais. Povetkin digs a 1-2 to the body. Good defense by Chambers as he blocks a four-punch combo from Povetkin. They trade to the body to end the round. Good tactical round. Round to Chambers for landing a little more though.
Povetkin 9 Chambers 10
ROUND 2
Chambers comes out firing the jab. Jab downstairs lands for Povetkin. Quick 1-2 lands for Chambers. Right hand upstairs from Chambers snaps the head back of Povetkin. Povetkin's jab getting blocked by that high guard of Chambers. Chambers triples up with his jab and lands two of them. Povetkin digs a right to the body. Hard right hand upstairs lands for Povetkin. Another 1-2 from Povetkin blasts through the guard of Chambers. Jab to the body and hook lands for Povetkin. Chambers getting outworked as he's too busy keeping his guard up. Jab to the body lands for Povetkin. Uppercut lands for Povetkin. HARD right hand lands for Chambers, but Povetkin eats it. Now Povetkin fires a five-punch combo and sneaks a few punches in. Round to Povetkin who's starting to outwork Chambers as he looks to stay on defense too much.
Povetkin 19 Chambers 19
ROUND 3
Chambers on the retreat as Povetkin continues to walk him down. Nice left hook to the body lands for Povetkin. 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a left hook. Povetkin continues to work the body as Chambers keeps his guard up. Right hook lands for Povetkin and then he digs to the body. Left hook lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a jab. Chambers is staying way too defensive. Nice right hand to the body lands for Povetkin. Chambers answers with a left hook of his own. Right hand from Chambers lands. Quick left from Chambers lands. Povetkin digs to the body. Chambers lands a HARD right hand. Povetkin digs to the body again. Chambers lands a left. Povetkin lands a right hook upstairs, but Chambers answers with a right to end the round. Close round. I give it to Chambers for landing the more telling shots.
Povetkin 28 Chambers 29
ROUND 4
Both men digging to the body. OOOOOHHH...nice counter right hand from Chambers rocks Povetkin's head back. Nice left hook lands for Chambers. Povetkin throws a right, but it's blocked. Chambers lands a left to the body and a right upstairs. Quick 1-2 lands for Povetkin. HARD left hook on the inside lands for Povetkin. Left hook to the body lands for Chambers. Now Povetkin lands a left that snaps the head back of Chambers. Povetkin lands a hook to the body. Another left hook upstairs lands for Povetkin. Woooooo...nice 1-2 from Chambers snaps the head of Povetkin again. Good round. I give it Chambers for landing the bigger shots.
Povetkin 37 Chambers 39
ROUND 5
Povetkin continues to press forward and Chambers continues to lean back with that high guard. Nice left hand lands for Chambers. Two nice jabs from Chambers pop Povetkin in the face. HARD left hand from Povetkin blasts through the gurad of Chambers. Left hook to the body lands for Chambers. Povetkin wings a right hand that just grazes Chambers. Two stiff jabs from Chambers land. Povetkin lands a left hook upstairs and another one upstairs. Nice 1-2 to the body lands for Chambers. Round to Chambers. Povetkin is staying busy, but a lot of his punches are being blocked by that high guard of Chambers.
Povetkin 46 Cambers 49
ROUND 6
Nice uppercut and a right hand lands for Povetkin. 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Hard right hand from Povetkin blasts through the guard of Chambers. Chambers has done very little in the first minute and a half. 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a left hook. Povetkin lands a jab to the body. Povetkin throwing a lot of four-punch combos and landing one or two of those punches. Chambers lands a couner left. Nice right hand over the top lands for Povetkin. 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a counter right. Povetkin lands a left hook. Right hand by Chambers to end the round...not enough to win it though. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 56 Chambers 58
ROUND 7
Povetkin continues to stay active as he throws four and five punch combos. 1-2 lands for Povetkin upstairs. Nothing coming back from Chambers. Now Chambers lands a left hand, but he pays for it when he eats a BIG right hand from Povetkin. Povetkin digs to the body. Chambers lands a right hand. Povetkin digs to the body again. Nice right hand lands for Povetkin, who's beginning to breath with his mouth wide open. Chambers lands a double left hook. Povetkin blasts through the guard with a 1-2. Another HARD 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers is fighting at a pace that would make Bernard Hopkins look like a volume puncher. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 66 Chambers 67
ROUND 8
Former WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev can be seen watching from ringside. Povetkin continues to throw punches in bunches. 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers content to just put his guard up and look for counters in between the volume of punches...the only problem is that Povetkin doesn't take a break. 1-2...1-2...1-2 landing for Povetkin. Chambers lands a counter right. Chambers digs a left to the body. Now Povetkin works the body. Nice uppercut lands for Chambers. Povetkin looks really tired in there, but he's still firing away and blasting through the guard of Chambers. Another uppercut lands for Chambers, then Povetkin fires back four of his own. Hard right hand to the body lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a nice right hand to end the round...not enough to win it though. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 76 Chambers 76
ROUND 9
Povetkin taking DEEP breaths in his corner. Chambers needs to capitalize on the tired fighter he has in front of him, but he's just not being active enough. Povetkin lands a right to the body. Another 1-2 upstairs lands for Povetkin. Now Chambers lands a nice uppercut and a right hand and he sits back and enjoys it. Another nice 1-2 lands for Chambers, but Povetkin continues to fire back. Right to the body lands for Povetkin. Three-punch combo lands for Chambers. HARD 1-2 and an uppercut lands for Chambers. Povetkin digs a left to the body. Right hand upstairs lands for Povetkin. Another hard left to the body lands for Povetkin. Wooooo...nice counter left lands for Chambers, but then he eats a jab from Povetkin. Povetkin blasts through a jab and a left hook to end the round. Very, very close round. I give it to Povetkin for being the more active fighter. Chambers lands some nice shots...just not enough of them.
Povetkin 86 Chambers 85
ROUND 10
Povetkin continues to press forward behind combinations. Chambers lands a chopping right hand on the inside. HARD 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Right hook from Povetkin sneaks in. Chambers lands an uppercut. Povetkin lands a left. Right to the body lands for Povetkin. Povetkin continues to throw three and four punches to just one for Chambers. Another HARD 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a left hook. Again...the 1-2 lands for Povetkin. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 96 Chamber 94
ROUND 11
An extreme sense of urgency from the corner of Chambers as McGirt tells him that he's got to go for the knockout. Povetkin lands a HARD right hook to start the round. Again...more combos from Povetkin while Chambers just content to put his guard up. Left hand from Povetkin blasts through the guard of Chambers. Chambers just giving this fight to Povetkin. Chambers lands a left hand that's a little low. HARD 1-2 from Povetkin snaps the head back of Chambers. Right hand from Povetkin blasts through the guard again. Right hand followed by a left hook lands for Povetkin. Chambers lands a right hand. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 106 Chambers 103
ROUND 12
More combination punching from Povetkin as he sneaks in a right hand. Chambers still not doing much for someone who's being told that he desparately needs a knockout. Counter right hand lands for Chambers, but Povetkin continues to outwork him. HARD right hand to the body lands for Povetkin. Left hand lands for Povetkin, who's looking to close the show in dominant fashion. Right hook lands for Povetkin and Chambers looks like a scared fighter in there. Povetkin lands a 1-2 and dances away on his toes. Hard right hand down the pipe lands for Povetkin. Round to Povetkin.
Povetkin 116 Chambers 112
Harold Lederman scores the fight 117-111 for Povetkin
Official judges scorecards...
Deon Dwarte: 117-111
Phil Edwards: 119-109
Alejandro Lopez: 116-112
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION....THE WHITE LION ALEXANDER POVETKIN
COMPUBOX
Povetkin total punches: 201/929
Chambers total punches: 197/398
Povetkin power punches: 144/513
Cambers power punces: 136/224
POSTFIGHT
In the final two rounds, when the corner of Chambers was pleading for him to go for broke to try to get the knockout, Chambers only threw 15 punches in round 11 and 16 punches in round 12. Lennox Lewis says, "in order to win fights, you gotta throw punches...if you're going to block punches, come back with shots." Max Kellerman suggests that Eddie Chambers might want to think about moving down to cruiserweight since he doesn't hit hard enough at heavyweight to make his opponents respect him. I disagree. I think Chambers might have enough pop to discourage some of the big boys at heavyweight, he simply doesn't put enough of those punches together. If you weren't blessed with one-punch knockout power, then at the very least, you have to make sure you throw enough punches to make a lasting impression. The problem isn't his punch...the problem is simply the lack of punches he throws.
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