Hasim Rahman – Alexander Povetkin Ready for BATTLE – Boxing News

Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KOs) is looking to defy the oddsmakers once again. More than 11 years since he shocked the world by knocking out Lennox Lewis, “The Rock,” about a month shy of his 40th birthday, will challenge current WBA champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany. It will be the most significant boxing match of the upcoming week.

However, the fight against Povetkin will be Rahman’s first fight since June 2011 and his first fight against a world rated opponent since a 2008 TKO loss to Wladimir Klitschko, prompting many to question his readiness, as well as his WBA mandatory challenger status.

“They’ve been basically writing Hasim off since the start of the promotion,” said Rahman’s promoter Greg Cohen. “Hasim isn’t even on the posters for this event. They’ve been making jokes and having fun. But while they were doing that, Hasim has been getting himself into fantastic shape.”

Rahman is making no secret of his strategy against Povetkin, who is coming off a shaky performance in his last fight against Marco Huck. “I know what I have to do and that is to knock him out. I know that when I’m at my best, no one can take my power and I will knock him or anyone else out, period….no fight at this level is easy, but I know that I am 100 percent prepared and so I am supremely confident. The fight will not go the distance. I will KO Povetkin on September 29.”

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