When Dillian Whyte first faced off against Alexander Povetkin last August, rather uncharacteristically he lacked the ruthlessness in order to finish the fight – despite knocking the Russian down twice in the fourth round.
However, seven months later Whyte showed the progression he’s made as a fighter to claim an unbelievable knockout victory in the rematch. Not only did the manner of the win show that he can learn from his mistakes, but it puts him back in contention for the WBC title and could prove to be the catalyst that revives his career.
The Body Snatcher was sharp from the first bell, setting the intensity inside the ring, and working off his strong jab that Povektin instantly struggled to handle. Unfortunately for Whyte, his opponent had a wealth of experience to rely on which helped him to evade the heavy right hands that were coming his way.
Despite landing solid blows in every round, Povetkin’s resilience continued to persist until an overhand right caught him flush in the third round. This was the turning point in the fight as the 41-year-old’s sense of balance never recovered, giving Whyte the opportunity to capitalise.
On unsteady legs, the veteran was unable to withstand the onslaught coming from his counterpart, eventually hitting the canvas in the fourth round. Unlike the first meeting, Whyte’s persistence paid off when his straight-right hand that threw Povetkin into the ropes was followed up with a favourable left hook to end the contest.
What’s next for Dillian Whyte?
‘I’m ready to run it again if he wants it again,’ Whyte said after the fight. ‘If he wants a rematch, if there’s the right money, I’ll run it again. I shouldn’t have lost the first time. I’m just annoyed. The first time I shouldn’t have lost.’
Promoter Eddie Hearn was delighted with his fighter’s showing and hinted at a potential fight with Deontay Wilder prior to his eventual world championship bout.
‘For me, we called for the Deontay Wilder fight for a long, long time,’ Hearn said. ‘He actually DMed and said I’ll never give you that fight. Now he’s calling for that fight. To me, that’s a stadium fight. I’d like to get him back out again quickly in the summer. But the goal has always been to get Dillian Whyte a world title.’
Before suffering the second loss of his career to Povetkin in the first fight, Whyte had been the mandatory challenger for the WBC title for more than 1,000 days. With the interim championship now firmly back in his grasp, surely it’s only a matter of time before he’s given his chance?
