Alexander Povetkin did not set the boxing world on fire with his 12-round unanimous decision over Ruslan Chagaev on Saturday in Germany, but the 31-year-old heavyweight contender?s victory was strong enough to move him ahead of Tomasz Adamek in THE RING?s ratings.
Povetkin (22-0, 15 knockouts), who advanced from No. 3 to No. 2 in the magazine?s heavyweight rankings, boxed on even terms with Chagaev before a late-rounds rally helped him outpoint the former titleholder whom THE RING rated No. 5 prior to the fight.
?The vast majority of the Ratings Advisory Panel Members participating this week suggested that Alexander Povetkin switch places with Tomasz Adamek based on his win over Chagaev, which gave him a better overall record at heavyweight than Adamek,? said Nigel Collins, Editor-in-Chief of THE RING magazine. ?After due consideration and a review of both men?s records, the Editorial Board agreed and made the change.?
Povetkin defeated his second RING-rated heavyweight in Chagaev (27-2-1, 17 KOs), a 32-year-old veteran from Uzbekistan who has been in the magazine?s Top 10 (250 weeks) longer than any other fighter apart from world champ Wladimir Klitschko.
In October of 2007, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist from Russia scored an 11th-round stoppage of former two-time titleholder Chris Byrd, THE RING?s No. 8-rated heavyweight at the time. Povetkin followed the TKO of Byrd by outpointing then-undefeated (30-0) Eddie Chambers in January of 2008. Chambers, who went on to be ranked as high as No. 3 in THE RING?s ratings, is currently No. 5.
