Alexander Povetkin vs. Dillian Whyte II - 27 March 2021

[Ruthless-RKO]

Whyte: I Got Dropped, I Wasn't Sparko, I Got Up Straight After

Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte is mentally focused on getting revenge when he faces Alexander Povetkin in a rematch later this year.

At the time of the knockout, Whyte was way up on the cards after dropping Povetkin twice in the fourth round.

But Povetkin, who himself appeared to be on the verge on getting stopped, landed a vicious uppercut that sent Whyte down and out.

Due to the unexpected loss, Whyte was stripped of his status as the WBC's mandatory challenger and he also lost the WBC's interim-title.

Whyte had an immediate rematch clause and quickly exercised his right to a second meeting.

"I just remember falling and the referee saying 'six, seven.' And then after, tried to get up, and the referee was saying 'nah, nah, nah, it's a heavy knockdown'.. blah, blah, blah. I was alright, I wasn't like sparko, sparko. I can't say like 'Oh I didn't get dropped.' It was a great shot to the point of the chin, and I got dropped. But I was all right. I got up straight after, I was cool," Whyte told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"And then straight after went to the changing room, Eddie [Hearn] was doing his interview, and I said 'yeah, let's get the rematch, let's do it.'"

More than anything else, Whyte blames himself for making the one mistake that led to the shocking loss.

"I was annoyed at myself. I was annoyed at myself because I threw the fight away. Povetkin didn't beat me up or beat the fight out of me. I threw the fight away. So I was a bit annoyed at myself obviously. No one's perfect, we all make mistakes, and I was a bit annoyed that I made silly mistakes at this stage of my career," Whyte said.

[margaret thatcher]

"I just remember falling and the referee saying 'six, seven.'

Pretty sure the ref never said six or seven dill

[Counter-puncher]

If there is a rematch I really hope he gets sparked again, now.

[Onamastus]

"I wasn't sparko"

Yes you were!!!

[Counter-puncher]

"I wasn't sparko"

Yes you were!!!

Exactly. Seems he needs a repeat performance for the lesson to really sink in.

[MasterG]

Looks like Alen Babic will be fighting Mark Bennett on the undercard.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Povetkin vs. Whyte Rematch Targeted For November 21 or 28

A rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte looks set to go ahead in late November after their first fight returned good pay-per-view returns, although it is far from clear where the fight will take place.

Povetkin twice got off the floor to knock Whyte out with a stunning left uppercut to claim his interim WBC heavyweight title on the final night of Eddie Hearn’s Fight Camp last month.

There was a rematch clause in the fight contract, so a return was always likely, although with a backlog of big heavyweight fights – including Anthony Joshua v Kubrat Pulev and Oleksandr Usyk v Dereck Chisora – plus uncertainty surrounding the return of live crowds due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seemed unlikely that there would be room in the diary this year.

However, emboldened by better than expected pay-per-view figures from the first fight, the rematch looks set to go ahead on November 21 or 28, with Joshua-Pulev already scheduled for December 12.

Sky, who screened Whyte-Povetkin on their Sky Box Office platform, never release official viewing figures, but it is understood that far from being a flop, the August 22 card, which also featured the Katie Taylor-Delfine Persoon rematch, performed very well.

Whyte has already travelled back to his training base in Portugal to begin preparations for the fight.

One thing that is not clear is where the fight will take place. There are still hopes that some sort of audience will be allowed the attend fights in November in the UK, but with tighter social-distancing rules coming into force in the UK this week, to reduce the risk of s second wave.

It is understood that Hearn has cancelled plans to stage any Matchroom shows in the UK in September. A fight featuring Joshua Buatsi, the unbeaten light-heavyweight, is expected to headline Matchoom’s next UK show, which is now pencilled in for October 3.

Hearn is understood to be against putting shows on in a television studio, as rival promoters have done, while any thoughts of continuing Fight Camp in the back garden of the Matchroom headquarters in Brentwood, Essex, have also been ruled out.

He does however favour putting the Buatsi fight forward as a potential Government test event, to trial how boxing could run with limited live crowds and social distancing. So far test events have gone ahead or are planned in football, cricket, rugby, horse racing, snooker, basketball and speedway.

[ash.a93]

Can tell Hearn is desperate to have Whyte back as an obstacle for AJ fighting Fury. I can't recall a fighter ever having an immediate rematch within 3 months of a one punch KO. Seems like he's willing to risk Whyte to protect his cash cow AJ.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Can tell Hearn is desperate to have Whyte back as an obstacle for AJ fighting Fury. I can't recall a fighter ever having an immediate rematch within 3 months of a one punch KO. Seems like he's willing to risk Whyte to protect his cash cow AJ.

TBH, he'd want Dillian Whyte to keep winning as well, because he was been rinsed on PPV as well.

The only PPV stars (and i use that term losely) Matchroom have are AJ and Whyte? Any other boxers really depend on who they are fighting.

It's like Saunders is not a PPV star, but no doubt, if was to fight in the UK against Andrade or GGG or even Canelo, it would be on PPV.

[mickey1975]

Can tell Hearn is desperate to have Whyte back as an obstacle for AJ fighting Fury. I can't recall a fighter ever having an immediate rematch within 3 months of a one punch KO. Seems like he's willing to risk Whyte to protect his cash cow AJ.

TBH, he'd want Dillian Whyte to keep winning as well, because he was been rinsed on PPV as well.

The only PPV stars (and i use that term losely) Matchroom have are AJ and Whyte? Any other boxers really depend on who they are fighting.

It's like Saunders is not a PPV star, but no doubt, if was to fight in the UK against Andrade or GGG or even Canelo, it would be on PPV.

Even Canelo? I’d say only him Smith and GGG , are ppv.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Can tell Hearn is desperate to have Whyte back as an obstacle for AJ fighting Fury. I can't recall a fighter ever having an immediate rematch within 3 months of a one punch KO. Seems like he's willing to risk Whyte to protect his cash cow AJ.

TBH, he'd want Dillian Whyte to keep winning as well, because he was been rinsed on PPV as well.

The only PPV stars (and i use that term losely) Matchroom have are AJ and Whyte? Any other boxers really depend on who they are fighting.

It's like Saunders is not a PPV star, but no doubt, if was to fight in the UK against Andrade or GGG or even Canelo, it would be on PPV.

Even Canelo? I’d say only him Smith and GGG , are ppv.

Forgot about Smith

[Ruthless-RKO]

Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte 2 is the explosive ending to the autumn schedule on Sky, featuring world title fights, Joshua Buatsi and the WBSS final.

Povetkin vs Whyte 2 - Nov 21, Sky Sports Box Office

Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte

Povetkin-Whyte 2 should deliver further heavyweight fireworks on Saturday November 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Whyte has revenge on his mind in the rematch after the Russian produced a dramatic knockout win on the final weekend of last month's Fight Camp.

"I'm over the moon to have the rematch," said Whyte. "As soon as I got out of the ring, I was looking for confirmation that the fight would be on. I can't wait to get back in the ring and get back what is rightfully mine.

"I'm looking to do what I said I would the first time, and that's beat Alexander Povetkin.

"There won't be any major adjustments, but I just need to be more switched on and not get distracted. He was able to use his experience against me. I will be a lot more focused and sharper in the rematch. I'm coming to win and knock him out. I'm coming to even the score and the only way to do that is by knocking him out."

Povetkin said: "I've rested well, spent time with my family, and now that the date of the rematch is known, I will soon return to my training camp and prepare as thoroughly as I did for the first fight.

"As I said before the first fight, and after it too, Dillian Whyte is a good, strong boxer. I will be ready to enter the ring on November 21. I hope it will be another beautiful fight for the fans."

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development, said: "After the huge success of Fight Camp, we're delighted to announce another exciting line-up of live action, including a World Boxing Super Series Final, Joshua Buatsi and Lewis Ritson back in action, and then Povetkin-Whyte 2!

"The WBSS has already supplied some classic encounters, live on Sky Sports, so we're expecting even more drama when Mairis Briedis battles Yuniel Dorticos this month.

"Joshua Buatsi has every attribute to become one of Britain's biggest stars - and he takes another significant step in a clash with Marko Calic. Women's boxing is really booming, with Chantelle Cameron facing Adriana Dos Santos for the WBC super-lightweight belt on the same bill.

"Lewis Ritson has reignited the sport in the north east, but he cannot afford a slip-up against former world champion Miguel Vazquez, while England and Scotland also collide as Savannah Marshall takes on Hannah Rankin for the vacant WBO middleweight title.

"Dillian Whyte is determined to avenge that shock defeat to Alexander Povetkin - and the big-hitting heavyweight duo should provide another explosive encounter on Sky Sports Box Office. After a sizzling summer, get ready for an action-packed autumn!"

[Ruthless-RKO]

This will be a pay per view.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Warren is wondering how Spelman received a longer medical suspension than Whyte, who was knocked out cold.

Spelman was hit with a 45-day medical suspension by the BBBoC, while Whyte was only given a 28-day medical ban - and has already booked a rematch with Povetkin on November 21.

[Ash93]

Hearn saying Whyte got up at 8 on the count. Can’t believe what I’m hearing. Wasn’t even a count for a start and he was flattened for over a minute.

[margaret thatcher]

lol Whyte wasnt up for like 30 seconds and that was with his team dragging him up

[Ruthless-RKO]

lol Whyte wasnt up for like 30 seconds and that was with his team dragging him up

Yeh, him saying he wasn't Sparko.. Oh he bloody was!

[Counter-puncher]

Camp Eddie in 'talking absolute shite' shocker

[Ruthless-RKO]

[margaret thatcher]

lol Whyte wasnt up for like 30 seconds and that was with his team dragging him up

Yeh, him saying he wasn't Sparko.. Oh he bloody was!

made extra funny by him telling the other dude to rewatch it lol

[Autobarn]

Joshua and Fury had to overcome obstacles to become the champs that they are, in rivalries with Ruiz Jr and Wilder. Now, Whyte must come through this unexpected rivalry with Povetkin in order to become a force at world level.

Whyte has the tools to earn a painful, drawn out TKO win over Povetkin. But Povetkin has the intelligence to wipe him off the board.

Whyte obviously will look at what he didn’t do right. I think many forgot Povetkin’s nuances, use of feints to open up opponents and clever punch picking. Think Dillian will do it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hughie Fury is set to return on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s rematch with Alexander Povetkin in November, his trainer and father Peter Fury told BBTV.



The 26-year-old will be looking to continue the momentum he gained with his impressive stoppage win over Pavel Sour in March, as he looks to continue his quest for world honours.

In terms of who will likely be in the opposite corner to Fury, his trainer revealed Eddie Hearn and Matchroom ‘have come back with a few we are looking at, but nothing is fixed down opponent wise yet’.

He went onto emphasise his desire for Hughie to be in ‘meaningful fights’, however stating that it is difficult at the moment with the COVID crisis.

“We have got to just run with the times – we will look for somebody decent, the main thing for Hughie is to keep him busy, keep him active, keep him fighting and keep him winning.”

It was previously touted that Fury would clash with Dave Allen, however, the likelihood of that bout happening has faded as the lockdown and restrictions on travelling athletes have loosened.

[THEBUTCH]

Whyte's obviously a bit confused....and who wouldn't be after getting walloped like that from Povetkin amazing uppercut

I do think Dillian deserves respect for getting straight back in with Povetkin. He is a bit of a throwback boxer in fairness, even if he's not to everyone's taste.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie Hearn To Stage Four Shows at SSE Arena, Wembley

Eddie Hearn will stage four shows at the 12,500-capacity SSE Arena, Wembley, as he aims to increase pressure for a return of fans.

The Oleksandr Usyk-Dereck Chisora heavyweight fight on October 31 will be the first of the shows at the venue, formerly known as Wembley Arena. It will then be followed at Wembley by the show headlined by Katie Taylor against Miriam Gutierrez on November 14 and then the November 21 Dillian Whyte-Alexander Povetkin bill. The final card will be headlined by Billy Joe Saunders making a defence of his WBO super-middleweight title. That is currently scheduled for November 28, although it might move back a week if Sky Sports decide not to go head-to-head with BT Sport’s screening of the Daniel Dubois-Joe Joyce heavyweight clash.

The shows will go ahead whether or not fans are allowed but, by going to such a big venue, Hearn hopes to be able to let fans in if he is given the green light by the Government. If fans are allowed in, none will be allowed at ringside. It will also provide a useful trial looking ahead to Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight title defence in December, which Hearn hopes to admit more than 4,000 for.

“I am planning the fights with no fans at the moment,” Hearn said to Boxing Scene. “We will have the same venue for four events and just keep canvassing, asking for 1,500 or 2,000 fans to be let in.

“I don’t like to go into big arenas and seeing loads of empty seats everywhere. We have to get creative with the production, but the plan is to fill them up or at least certainly get some bums on seats.

“Early doors I hope we can get 1,000 in, show the Government how we can get it done safely and from there escalating to AJ.”

A rise in coronavirus cases, which has even seen Hearn and his father, Barry, test positive, has led to more restrictions in the UK, with all pubs and restaurants in central Scotland closing for 16 days and several areas in lockdown.

Hearn is also hopeful that a crowd of 4,700 may be permitted for Anthony Joshua’s WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight title defence on December 12 at the O2 Arena, London, after a concert the previous week at the venue was given approval to have a live audience.

The band Squeeze will play the O2 Arena on December 5 and 4,700 socially-distanced seats will be on sale at the 19,000-seater venue.

“There is a music event approved the week before AJ,” he said. “That would suggest we might be able to do that number for AJ, but that is subject to them not changing their mind. We had the Crucible, 400 people for every day for the World Snooker Championships and after one day they closed it down.

“The pressure is definitely mounting for fans to be allowed back, but on the other hand they are talking about closing pubs and restaurants,” Hearn said. “So how can you close pubs and restaurants but allow people to go to sporting events?

“Sooner or later they are going to have a decision on their hands. Do you open things up and put in what measures you can, or do you close everything down again and everything could be screwed?”

No opponent has been announced yet for Saunders, who has not boxed since his knockout win over Marcelo Coceres on the KSI-Logan Paul bill in Los Angeles last November. However, Hearn says he is keen on an all British fight.

“I’d like to do a Brit,” he said. “So it is probably one of [Martin] Murray, [Rocky] Fielding or [John] Ryder.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC’s Sulaiman Surprised Povetkin-Whyte II Scheduled So Soon After Brutal KO

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said on Monday that he was surprised that heavyweight Dillian Whyte had already begun training for a rematch with Alexander Povetkin despite being medically suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Further, Sulaiman said the WBC has not yet received any communication from promoter Matchroom Boxing seeking a sanction for the organization’s interim heavyweight world title, which Povetkin violently took from Whyte.

On Aug. 22, at the outdoor garden of Matchroom Boxing headquarters in Brentwood, England, Whyte dominated Povetkin and dropped him twice in the fourth round before Povetkin came back to brutally knock Whyte out cold with a left uppercut for the upset victory 30 seconds into the fifth round.

With the win, Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs), 41, of Russia, took Whyte’s WBC interim title and knocked him out of the mandatory position for an eventual shot at champion Tyson Fury.

Whyte quickly exercised his contractual right to an immediate rematch with Povetkin and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn formally announced on Sept. 15 that the sequel would take place on Nov. 21 as the main event of a pay-per-view card on Sky Box Office.

Sulaiman said the turn of events is a bit surprising to him.

“There’s no sanction request. From what I understand, Dillian Whyte is still suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control and has to go through medicals, but the WBC has not received any communication whatsoever for a rematch,” Sulaiman said during a WBC Talks Zoom video conference with a handful of boxing media.

As early as Sept. 2, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs), 32, of England, posted video on social media of him training, which would be well inside the allowable timeframe for a fighter to return to training given the severity of the knockout he suffered. Sulaiman said he believes the rematch has been scheduled far too soon following such a devastating knockout.

“We have a top priority of safety,” Sulaiman said. “It was not a TKO. What we absolutely recommend after a knockout like this is from 30, even 60 days no contact, no training. And I am surprised the WBC has not received any communication and I am surprised that they have scheduled a rematch inside of three months from the original fight.”

Besides Whyte’s resumption of training while still suspended, Sulaiman it was also unusual that the fight was announced before the promoter had worked out the details on a WBC sanction.

“Usually, when a fight is made it’s done and it’s announced with a WBC sanction,” Sulaiman said. “There have been cases where fights are announced and then they do the paperwork. But usually, 99 percent of the time, when there’s a fight involving the WBC there’s absolute communication prior to the signing and announcement. So, I don’t know. It’s a unique situation. We have had fights in the past when they contact us maybe with a late replacement or an opportunity that comes that opens up a spot on television, so we do have the flexibility. But usually it’s 60 days out so we can prepare all the mandatory medicals, the mandatory weigh-ins. There’s things that that they have to comply with. Usually, a promoter goes and makes absolute certainty that the fight has been approved.”

Sulaiman added that there have been two virtual meetings between the WBC Board of Governors and the British Boxing Board of Control at which they have spoken about Povetkin-Whyte II.

“That’s where we raised that topic and the British Boxing Board of Control confirmed that Dillian Whyte received a suspension and was still suspended until further testing,” he said.

As far as Sulaiman is concerned even if the Povetkin-Whyte rematch goes ahead the WBC at this point is not involved.

“There’s no fight. The WBC, at this moment, we have not received any communication,” he said. “It’s out there announced but for us there is no fight for the WBC interim title.”