By Abu Mahmood: Dillian Whyte (27-2-0 18 KOs) wants the rematch against Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1 25 KOs). He has made no secret of that. Alexander Povetkin has started training again.
This fight will be one that will be most likely one of the first ones Eddie Hearn will make as he will obviously want Whyte to regain his WBC mandatory position.
Hearn wanted to force the mandatory fight on the WBC champion Tyson Fury (30-0-1 21 KOs) as Whyte had been waiting a very long time. Hearn would have gotten his way as well if Whyte had won.
Anything can happen in heavyweight boxing. This age-old adage is not lost on any boxer.
Whyte had dropped Povetkin twice. It seemed clear as day.
Povetkin was on his way out. This fight was named or at the very least marketed as “Battle of the left hooks”.
Whyte threw a right hand in order to get Povetkin’s attention away from the incoming left hook. Then came the moment that shocked a lot of people. Alexander Povetkin came back from being dropped twice and had knocked out Dillian Whyte with one of the most brutal uppercuts. The replays had shown how brutal it was.
Dillian Whyte insisted he was just caught and he had done everything right. The uppercut that Povetkin landed was the same shot he was trying to set up all night. The same thing happened in the Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz fight.
So, what happens in the rematch? Does Whyte get his revenge and become mandatory to the WBC champion once again or does Alexander Povetkin show he is still a force to be reckoned with by delivering another devastating knockout?
Whyte dropped Povetkin twice. Albeit it did not seem like Povetkin was hurt.
Dillian Whyte could try and box with Povetkin, keeping him at range and not letting him get in close enough to throw the uppercuts. Whyte could also just start trading with Povetkin and the fight becomes a Fight of The Year contender.
Povetkin must get in close. He will not win this fight on points; it seems very unlikely.
The fight will not play out like the first. Whyte will look to stick to his game plan of keeping Povetkin at range and targeting his body. Povetkin will keep on trying to get in close. It will be mostly the same exact fight as the first.
Whyte could get aggravated and could go straight for the knockout and could get risk getting caught again.
Povetkin may not be able to get on the inside and may get caught trying to get on the inside. He was dropped twice by Whyte. Both fighters can hurt each other.
If Whyte wins the rematch, Hearn will undoubtedly try to get Whyte a fight with the WBC champion in the name of a mandatory. Does that not make Hearn contradict himself? He wants the WBO to let Joshua forego his mandatory against Usyk but would want Whyte to fight Fury in a mandatory fight.
Whyte had been waiting a long time for his fight and should have received one but he did lose his position as mandatory with this loss.
Expect to see Whyte and Povetkin in a war whenever the rematch takes place.