Rahman loses 19kg for Povetkin bout

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Published time: August 21, 2012 11:49
Edited time: August 21, 2012 16:43

Mandatory challenger Hasim Rahman is in great shape ahead of his fight with WBA “regular” heavyweight champion, Aleksandr Povetkin or Russia, says promoter Greg Cohen.

­The statement comes after Povetkin’s promoter, Vladimir Khryunov, slammed Rahman’s physical condition by suggesting the American boxer “has a contract with a famous American fast food restaurant chain.”

"It was totally out of line and not true,” Cohen told Boxingscene.com. “Hasim has lost over 40-pounds (19 kilograms). You saw him in July after the Hard Rock show. He was close to 300-pounds (136 kg) and came down to 260 and now I think he's 258 (117 kg). For his last fight he was 284.”

"Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. [Hyrunov] should look in the mirror. He doesn't look so good. Hasim looks a lot better than him," he added.

Cohen added that Khryunov words didn’t surprise him at all as Povetkin’s team has been “classless” from the start of their cooperation.

"When we went over there and his photo was not on the posters…Hasim flew 15 hours and I flew 10,” he said. “They do a whole video on Povetkin, nothing on Hasim. He's not on the posters. It was one disrespectful thing after the next. And now his manager is making nasty claims and statements. All of these things are going to come back to bite them. They are waking up a sleeping dog and you should let sleeping dogs lie. My fighter is working his ass off for this opportunity. He's going to shock the world again. I'm not just saying it as a promoter. I believe it."    

Povetkin (24-0, 16KOs) and Rahman (50-7-2, 42KOs) are to step into the ring in Hamburg, Germany on September 29.