Other heavyweights on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. card Saturday in Saudi Arabia tried to put their best foot forward. Dillian Whyte succeeded, Alexander Povetkin and Michael Hunter not as much.
Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 knockouts) and Hunter (18-1-1, 12 KOs) fought to a draw in the co-feature, which would’ve put the winner in the mandatory position for one of Joshua’s heavyweight titles. They both had their moments in a fiercely fought bout but neither could separate from the other.
The scores were 115-113, 113-115 and 114-114.
Povetkin, a former Olympic champion who is now 40, is hoping for one more shot at a world title.
Hunter, 31, is a former cruiserweight contender trying to make his mark in the sport’s glamour division. A solid performance against a veteran like Povetkin was a positive step even though he didn’t have his hand raised.
Hunter’s only loss was a wide decision to Oleksandr Usyk in 2017, his last 200-pound fight.
Whyte, a late addition to the card, weighed a career-high 271 but it didn’t matter against Mariusz Wach, who was outpointed 98-93, 97-93, 97-93 in a 10-rounder.
Whyte has been mired in controversy. He failed a pre-fight drug test but, for unknown reasons, was allowed to fight Oscar Rivas on July 20. On Friday, U.K. Anti-doping dropped its case against Whyte.
And, in another heavyweight fight, prospect Filip Hrgovic (10-0, 8 KOs) of Croatia stopped veteran Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs) in the third round.