Wednesday 29 August 2018 12:19, UK
Johnny Nelson warns everyone not to take Alexander Povetkin lightly when he challenges Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
This is a serious, serious threat for Anthony Joshua. Everybody has been talking about the big fight between AJ and Deontay Wilder, but are they forgetting about Alexander Povetkin?
I think they might be. I think they have forgotten about his pedigree, they've forgotten about what he is capable of doing in the ring. Well, I have seen it so many times in this sport when fighters are already looking at their next fight, and I hope Joshua isn't doing the same.
Povetkin has been a world champion. He has had 35 fights and only lost one, and that was to Wladimir Klitschko. He can punch, he can bang, and the shot he took out David Price with, that left hook, is something we have seen Joshua open to as well.
Looking good against someone like him is one thing, but quite simply, Povetkin definitely has the capabilities of beating 'AJ'.
Povetkin can fight. This is going to be a tough one and it could well be the toughest test of the lot. You could argue that Wladimir Klitschko was past his best, or that Carlos Takam was a short-notice opponent, or that Joseph Parker has a granite chin, but the one thing we know Povetkin can do, is fight.
Remember when AJ fought Takam? He was much shorter and he would duck in low and get in on the inside and created some problems. I can see Povetkin doing something like that - and he carries more power than Takam.
He doesn't just have power, he has pace, and he will use the fact he will be much shorter to walk in low and put pressure on. He is not going to throw thousands of punches, but he's consistent and he was a world champion between 2011-2013. A big thing Povetkin has is experience.
Looking good against someone like him is one thing, but quite simply, Povetkin definitely has the capabilities of beating 'AJ'.
If Joshua is happy to stay back and box at range, he should have too much, but stand there and go toe-to-toe with him, he is giving Povetkin an even bigger chance of beating him.
The referee in the Parker fight didn't give us the chance to see, but Joshua is actually a good fighter on the inside. I do think whatever the game-plan [trainer] Rob McCracken comes up with, this is going to be harder than many people imagine.
I know Wilder was on everybody's mind, but I can't see Joshua and his team overlooking this one. If he does lose to Povetkin, all that talk, all that back-and-forth, will mean nothing. That makes this an even bigger risk.
Watch Anthony Joshua defend his world heavyweight titles against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, on September 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
