Would Alexander Povetkin fare better against Fury or Wilder?

 Which man would Alexander Povetkin have a better chance of defeating, Wilder or Fury?

After his shocking come-from-behind upset over Dillian Whyte, long time contender Alexander Povetkin has become the WBC mandatory challenger, which means he is in a position get a shot at the winner of Fury-Wilder III.

So which fight would give Povetkin the best chance to capture a title? Does he have a better chance against the slicker Fury? Or would he rather take his chances at avoiding Wilder’s right hand?

The fact of the matter is, Povetkin should be rooting for Wilder to win the rubber match. With no disrespect to Wilder, his style seems to be easier for Povetkin to work with. Wilder is not the most fundamentally sound fighter out there, and Povetkin would come in the ring with that definitive advantage over him.

Povetkin, even at his advanced age, still has sharp skills. We all saw that counter shot he landed that knocked Whyte out cold. There seems to be a path to victory that involves Povetkin timing some of Wilder’s more wild shots. He wouldn’t be favored to knock out Wilder, but the blueprint is there.

If he were to fight Fury, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious game-plan for him to take. He would be at a huge disadvantage in terms of size, he would not be as fast and the power is more or less a wash. Povetkin would have to force his way inside and hope to land the perfect punch and pray that Fury does not beat the ten-count.

Povetkin was set to face Wilder for his WBC title in 2016

Another aspect worth noting: don’t forget that in 2016 Povetkin was set to face Wilder for his WBC title, but the fight was called off after Povetkin tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.

While quite some time has passed, Povetkin already has had a full camp preparing for Wilder’s style, it would not be totally new to him. All those hours of watching film are still in the back of his head and will resurface after a few days of camp. It may not be enough to change anyone’s prediction of the fight, but any advantage, no matter how minor, is worth having when you are facing the hardest puncher in the sport.

Either way, Alexander Povetkin will be facing an uphill battle when he gets into the ring against either Wilder or Fury, but I’m sure he won’t mind who he faces. After coming up short against Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua, Povetkin would love nothing more than to end his career as the heavyweight champion of the world.