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Editor’s Note:
In fight terminology, “heart” is very high praise, indeed. It means that you stick to it no matter what comes. You take it all and keep on standin’… there’s no higher compliment that one fighter can give another.
BMD
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Vladimir Klichko may have demolished Aleksandr Povetkin in the ring Saturday night in Moscow, but he was full of praise for the Russian‘s courage in going the distance. Klichko knocked the previously unbeaten Povetkin down four times, but the Russian struggled on to the end, when Klichko retained his WBA, WBO, WBF, and IBO world heavyweight belts on a unanimous decision. He said in the early hours of Sunday, “Honestly, I was thinking about finishing up the fight around the seventh or eighth round and I could feel that I made clean connection and impact with the punches. Surprisingly, Aleksandr was still on his feet and not just on his feet, he was moving forward and punching, so he showed really tremendous heart. Until the very last second of the fight, he was trying to make this final, one lucky punch and knock me out. I could feel it, I could see it in his eyes, and I could see it in his punches most of all”. Klichko dismissed suggestions of a possible rematch, saying that one couldn’t rule it out, but he emphasised his many obligations for the various sanctioning bodies whose belts he holds. Now, Klichko has a 61-3 record, whilst Povetkin is now 27-1. Besides Povetkin, only nine other of Klichko’s defeated opponents went the distance with him.
6 October 2013
RIA-Novosti
Voices from Russia 
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