Povetkin to use different punches to beat Whyte on Saturday

By Boxing News - 03/25/2021 - Comments

By Allan Fox: Alexander Povetkin has done his homework well, and he won’t be relying on using the same uppercut that he used last time he fought Dillian Whyte when the two face each other this Saturday.

Povetkin vs. Whyte 2 will be headlining on Saturday night on DAZN and Sky Box Office from Gibraltar. As far as Povetkin is concerned, he’ll be ready to move on to face the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury winner for a world title.

In other words, Povetkin won’t be giving Whyte another rematch if he knocks him out again. Dillian will have had his chances.

Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) and his training team have been working feverishly to make sure that he doesn’t get hit with the same uppercut punch that knocked him over the last time he fought Povetkin.

That’s why the former WBA heavyweight champion Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) has done his homework and come up with new punches that he can use to try and knockout Dillian in their rematch.

Image: Povetkin to use different punches to beat Whyte on Saturday“The uppercut works. You never know which will work in the next fight,” said Povetkin to Sky Sports. “And I will try to punch shorter.

“I haven’t watched [the first fight] too many times, but I pay attention to the mistakes that I made. I didn’t watch it to celebrate my win. It was for homework,” said Povetkin.

Punching shorter with power is something that could work for Povetkin, seeing that Whyte will crowd him at times so that he can land his bread & butter punch, his left hook.

Whyte can’t connect with his hooks from long range, which is why he’s going to vulnerable at all times on Saturday.

The opportunities for Povetkin, 41, to land the same uppercut that he knocked Whyte out with last August will still be there for him on Saturday, but it won’t be quite as easy to connect with that shot.

In the early rounds, Whyte will be hyperalert this time to make sure he doesn’t get hit with that same punch, but once he starts getting warmed up, he’ll slip back into his old ways, and he’ll be vulnerable.

Povetkin has a powerful left hook that generally relies on to knock out his opponents, and that’s obviously going to be a punch he’ll be trying to land on Saturday.

Image: Povetkin to use different punches to beat Whyte on Saturday

The right hand is one that the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Povetkin may attempt to use this time to get Whyte out of there because he won’t be expecting it as much.

“I will try to defend myself better. My defensive skills must be better. “He can do whatever he wants. I’m ready for anything,” said Povetkin.

Dillian had Povetkin down twice in the fourth round last August at the Matchroom Boxing headquarters, and those knockdowns weren’t a fluke. Whyte’s size and power were too much for Povetkin, a small heavyweight in the 220s.

Without Povetkin defending himself better this time, he may not last long enough for him to try and hurt Whyte with another one of his specialty knockout punches.