Take a look at this quick quotes wrap up with (fake) WBA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Povetkin and WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco Huck ahead of their clash in Stuttgart on Saturday night. These are the highlights of what they have had to say in the build-up to the fight, and includes material from their previous press conferences, weigh-ins and more.
Training & Preparation
POVETKIN: “I prepared in my home city of Chekhov. Working with Alexander Zimin has been very good. There is a good chemistry between us and we get along very well. I am in great shape for Saturday.”
HUCK: “I had a good camp. The sparring sessions helped me to build a lot of confidence. I also expected the training for this fight to be a bit different compared to my latest title defenses at cruiserweight. However, to be honest, there was no big change leading up to this bout, at least not training-wise. But the media and fan interest has been gigantic. That was to be expected, though, because we are fighting for the biggest prize in boxing!”
Expectations for Saturday’s Clash
POVETKIN: “I do not like to predict the outcome of a fight. I basically don’t care about being the favorite or the underdog. It is my purpose to be at my best when facing Marco Huck on Saturday and to make the fight attractive for all the fans that are going to watch it. Of course it is my goal to win.”
HUCK: “Alexander Povetkin is a versatile boxer. He was not a World Amateur and Olympic Champion for nothing. On top of that, it is very hard to become world champion as a professional. The fight will live up to its hype and I will be the one standing tall at the end. The man with the bigger will and heart will win and that will be me. This is going to be a fighter’s fight, pure entertainment. A battle in which you have to give everything you got and even more to be victorious. It will be a fight which fans and experts will love to watch.”
Huck’s Surprise Move to Heavyweight
HUCK: “Many people still do not believe in my abilities. That is nothing new to me. I will continue to prove everybody wrong. I am up for this challenge. I have made a habit of accomplishing my goals. My current target is to live up to my childhood dream – to be heavyweight world champion.”
POVETKIN: “I was surprised because he has never fought at heavyweight before. But I defend my title against everybody. I am happy to face him.”
