Joshua v Povetkin: With so much power on show the judges won't be troubled

Anthony Joshua v Alexander Povetkin
Saturday, 22:00
Live on Sky Sports Box Office

AJ expected to shine at Wembley

Anthony Joshua takes on the first of a planned double-header at Wembley Stadium when risking his IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles against the challenge of hard-hitting Russian Alexander Povetkin.

The pre-bout betting suggests it'll be a straightforward win for the Londoner with AJ short odds favourite on both the Betfair Sportsbook and Exchange but boxing and, in particular, the top division is no stranger to upsets.

With the profits from Canelo's points win over Golovkin behind us we aim to further swell our betting balance in the capital. Punters looking beyond the fight winner market have plenty to keep them busy with the likes of method of victory, winning round and fight to go the distance available.

Read our undercard preview here

Return to knockout form

Joshua stretched his unbeaten professional record to 21 wins at the Principality Stadium back in March but the 6ft 6inch orthodox dropped his 100% knockout ratio when taken 12 rounds by Kiwi Joseph Parker. It was a comfortable outing for the champion, the scorecards accurately reflecting how the night went, 118-110, 119-109, 118-110 handed in at the conclusion.

The 28-year-old certainly had opportunities to get his rival out of there early, and some critics thought he should've done a better job on Parker, but in going the distance Joshua ticked another box, proving his stamina and ability to steer clear of trouble and see a fight over the line when out in front.

The judges to be called into action again on Saturday is thought to be unlikely with 11/4 available on the Sportsbook against the 2/9 it doesn't go the distance.

Punters looking to stay on the right side of AJ will find him priced at 1.14 on the Betfair Exchange and although that's a short price it's certainly accurate. If you expect the local lad to add win number 22 it'll be well worth calling the method of victory. KO/TKO is sure to be popular in accumulators at 1.44, while a second points cheer on the bounce is an eye-catching 5.30.

Povetkin proved his power last time

Alexander Povetkin may be a rank outsider heading to North-West London but a flick through his CV suggests he has been harshly treated by traders. The 39-year-old from Chekhov shares a ring with a big-punching opponent but he brings plenty of power to the table himself, scoring 24 of his 34 wins inside the distance. Russian Vityaz has lost only once to date - 34-1-0 - with the spare coming against Wladimir Klitschko five years ago.

The 6ft 2inch challenger took Dr Steelhammer the distance in Moscow, beaten 119-104 on all three scorecards but that's easy enough to forgive. The fact he went 12 rounds with a man who finished his career with 53 KO wins shouldn't be overlooked.

British fans also got a glimpse of the power Povetkin carries when he dismantled David Price in stunning fashion on the undercard of Joshua-Parker, the Englishman down twice before being waved off in the fifth, no count needed from referee Howard Foster.

Another KO/TKO win is a chunky 10.50, thought to be far more likely than the points verdict which comes in at 34.00. Backers preferring to play it safe will be happy enough with the 8.80 on the straight Povetkin win.

Aging Vityaz looks made for Joshua

We backed the underdog to good effect in Vegas last week but won't be doing the same again here, Anthony Joshua should win the fight at a canter. Povetkin is past his best at 39 and seems made for AJ.

We saw the Russian's power against Price and the champion will have to keep an eye on that, staying focused for as long as the bout lasts, but he does go back in straight lines and that's dangerous against a man of Anthony's size and strength.

Povetkin took Price out with a devastating overhand right but let's not forget he was caught with a left-hook himself and received a count in the third round. Price is heavy handed, but you'd imagine if Joshua catches Povetkin with a similar shot it'll be game over.

This fight looks perfect for Joshua and a win in rounds 1-6 is a confident pick at 6/4, available on the Sportsbook.