Man-off: Abbott v Putin in pictures

No show pony - President Putin enjoys the sunshine in a classic media moment from his Siberian holiday in 2009 Photograph: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty

Red alert - Tony Abbott in trademark budgie-smuggler style as a shadow minister in late 2009 Photograph: Jim Trifyllis /Newspix

No need to get changed - Vladimir Putin deals with a judo student during a visit to Okinawa, Japan, at the G8 summit in the year 2000 Photograph: Itar Tass/Reuters

The pugilist PM? Tony Abbott takes a left hook from sparring partner Nicholas Stafford-Deitsch during his Oxford University days Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Graeme Robertson

From Russia with Love - President Putin takes a whirl of some new military facilities in Moscow in 2006 Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP

What better way to celebrate an election win the morning after, than in lycra? Photograph: Paul Miller /EPA

Something fishy - A pike hauled from a lake in Siberia, is held up for the cameras. Reported to weigh over 21kg, critical fisherfolk said it was the President who'd been caught out by exaggerating the animal's weight Photograph: Alexey Nikolsky /EPA/Ria Novosti

Taking a punt - Abbott blends in south of the border, showing off his handball skills at the Essendon Football Club during his ill-fated 2010 election campaign Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Big game - Putin attaches a GPS satellite to a tiger he is supposed to have shot with a tranquiliser. After the event, there were claims the tiger died as a result of its official encounter Photograph: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP

Spin doctor - Less than a week before election day 2013 and Tony's checking out a Black Hawk helicopter at Holsworthy Army Barracks in Sydney Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP

Line of fire - President Putin fires darts with a crossbow at an endangered grey whale on the Sea of Japan in 2010. The darts were designed to take skin samples for researchers Photograph: Reuters/RIA Novosti

Polarizing president - Vladimir Putin measures and fits a tracking collar to a polar bear in 2010, an animal he stressed was under threat Photograph: Alexey Nikolsky/AFP/Getty