By Charles Brun: Alexander Povetkin says he won’t make the same mistakes against Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte on August 22 that he made in his last fight against Michael Hunter. Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KOs) was hurt in the first round by Hunter last December, and he was almost knocked out.
Whyte vs. Povetkin will be shown on Sky Box Office from the Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, UK. Dillian, 32, is using the Povetkin fight as a warmup to get him ready to take on WBC heavyweight champion Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury in the first half of next year. It’s still not a sure thing that Fury will be the one Dillian faces.
Tyson still has to beat former WBC belt-holder Deontay Wilder this year for him to meet up with Whyte. If Wilder beats Fury, then we’ll see Wilder-Dillian next February.
Alexander Povetkin in the role of the spoiler
Povetkin, 40, can shape his own destiny by pulling off the upset against Whyte. The 1994 Olympic gold medalist Povetkin can punch his own ticket for a clash against Fury by scoring a victory over Whyte.
Povetkin can make Whyte, and his promote Eddie Hearn retreat that they chose him as a tune-up opponent. With Povetkin’s strong left hook, strong chin, and big-fight experience, he’s got a good chance of winning.
Although Dillian views himself as one of the top three in the division, he’s struggled against B-level fighters like Joseph Parker, Dereck Chisora, and Oscar Rivas. Whyte didn’t look like a top-three heavyweight in beating those three, and he could have lost to all of them if wasn’t the A-side.
There were blown calls in those fights, and stations where Whyte did a lot of fouling.
The left hook isn’t the key to win – Povetkin
“I didn’t think anything special because it was discussed before. I thought it’ a good fight and a good opponent, why dod I need anything else,” said Povetkin to Matchroom Boxing on Whyte. “Dillian Whyte behaved himself very good, and that’s why it was positive.
“If he wants to trash talk, it can be a different atmosphere. I expect him to be in good shape. What about his last fight. It can happen to anybody. What’s important is you win.
“Maybe something didn’t go as he expected, but he won. That’s the most important. I didn’t think especially about the left hook. This is not the key to win. Every punch can make an effect and make you lose or win, but the most dangerous punch is the one that you don’t see. It’s not only the left hook,” said Povetkin.
A lot of boxing fans don’t realize that Alexander has a lot more tools in his toolkit than just his left hook. Povetkin is mostly known for his devastating left hook because he uses it so frequently to win his fights, but he’s got an equally dangerous uppercut and right hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knu4NfW9uyY&t=12s
The casual boxing fans that aren’t familiar with Povetkin aren’t aware of all the different offensive tools he utilizes to win his fights. He’s one of those guys that are impossible to prepare because he possesses a tremendous arsenal.
Dillian’s massive 20+ pound weight advantage that he’ll enjoy over Povetkin is also something that could be a critical factor in the fight. Povetkin is a medium-sized heavyweight taking on a considerable fighter, who fights well even in the 270s.
What Dillian has in his favor:
- Home country advantage
- Youth
- Chin
- Size
Povetkin won’t make mistakes against Dillian
“I don’t see this as a last chance,” Povetkin said. “What’s most important is my preparation and my boxing. Box beautiful with a result. The key factors depend on my training and my conditions.
“With my motivation, I’m ready to box wherever my age. I made a few mistakes against Michael Hunter. That’s why it looks this way. I had to recover, but I won’t make these mistakes with Dillian Whyte, that’s for sure.
“Having amateur experience gives some advantages to the boxer, but this is not the key. You have to go through many professional fights, but an amateur career like Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, it shows this is a significant advantage for the boxer.
‘They must expect a beautiful and tremendous fight,” said Povetkin.
Michael Hunter went after Povetkin right away in the first round last December, and he had him on the brink of disaster. Unfortunately, Whyte is unable to throw sustained flurries the way Hunter did because he’s too big, too slow, and too limited in the stamina depart.
Whyte wouldn’t dare try and bang Povetkin out the way that Hunter did, considering that he doesn’t have the speed. If Dillian tries to do that, he’ll run into one of Povetkin’s big left hooks and wind up getting rocked.
What we’ll likely see from Whyte is him using his jab, staying on the outside, throwing single right hands.
Whyte won’t have his old trainer Mark Tibbs in his corner on August 22 because he split with him last week. It could be hard for Dillian to fight without Tibbs being there to give him instructions in between rounds.
If the new coach insists on Whyte bum-rushing Povetkin, it could end badly for him. You’ve got to imagine that if Whyte loses, his new coach will be history.
Fighting in the UK could play a more significant factor in the Whyte-Povetkin match than people realize. It could help Whyte if the referee makes calls that favor him, and lets him rough up Povetkin without penalizing him.