By Przemek Garczarczyk

“I can be smaller but still be the better, faster and smarter fighter,” said former WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin who is giving away 35 pounds against Christian Hammer Friday night in Ekaterinburg, Russia. “I don’t care about his weight…I know that I’m in the optimal condition. I have no idea, what kind of tactics he will employ fighting with this weight. I know what I want to do. Win,” said Povetkin in an exclusive Fightnews.com interview.

Povetkin (32-1, 23 KO) meets Hammer (22-4, 12 KO) for both the WBA Intercontinental and WBO International belts.

The “Russian Knight” dismissed the notion that new heavyweight era is only for giants and called his VADA doping disqualification “unjust” and “unfair.” Povetkin and his promotional company World of Boxing also made it known very well who their main target is for 2018: undefeated WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KO).