Seven months since he was defeated by Alexander Povetkin and lost his WBC interim heavyweight championship, British boxing icon Dillian Whyte has avenged his loss as well as regained his interim belt via a 4th round TKO win over the Russian in Gibraltar.
Coming off of a fifth round defeat against Povetkin in August last year where he lost the interim belt via a 5th round knockout, Dillian Whyte (28–2, 19 KOs) stepped inside the ring for the rematch with just one goal, and from the start, the Briton’s gaze was fixated on a daunting win.
Whyte showcased brilliant timing right from the get-go, turning the bout at Europa Point Sports Complex into a one-sided affair, before deciding to drop the curtains in the fourth round.
Two back-to-back fight hand blows sent Povetkin into the ropes, before a staggering left hook from Whyte that sent the Russian down on the canvas. Although Povetkin (36–3–1, 25 KOs) regained his feet, the fight was stopped at the 2 minute and 39-second mark of the 4th round as “Sasha” sustained his third defeat.
Becoming interim champion once again, Dillian Whyte has his gaze on world title
Now, having regained his interim status and moving one step closer to earning a world title shot against the top order of the heavyweight division, “The Villain” is still disappointed, as he wanted a knockout in the first round right away
“I am just sad I didn’t get it finished in the first round,” Whyte said after the match, “he (Povetkin) is a tough guy but I felt I could have finished it early.”
Now holding the interim green and gold belt, the Briton will be set to square off against the sanctioning body’s world champion- Tyson Fury. “I want the world title,” added Whyte.
However, a title fight may not come so soon for the 32-year-old as Fury is in the works to be pitted against WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titleholder Anthony Joshua to determine the undisputed heavyweight champion.
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“He man-handled Povetkin, he battered him from pillar to post,” Matchroom MD Eddie Hearn stated following the fight, “we are back where we wanted to be. The aim remains the same, for Dillian to have a shot at the world championship.” (H/T talkSPORT)
While Whyte waits for his heavyweight world title shot, Hearn suggested that the boxer may be seen in action in Summer once again, and his next opponent could be former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who himself has been out of action since the Fury rematch in February last year.
