Katie Taylor made a strong statement in her entertaining rematch with Delfine Persoon on Saturday. The undisputed lightweight champion, who struggled to eke out a victory in their first fight, withstood Persoon’s relentless pressure to win a clear, …
Katie Taylor made a strong statement in her entertaining rematch with Delfine Persoon on Saturday.
The undisputed lightweight champion, who struggled to eke out a victory in their first fight, withstood Persoon’s relentless pressure to win a clear, unanimous decision on the Dillian Whyte-Alexander Povetkin card in Brentwood, England.
The Irishwoman won by scores of 98-93, 96-94 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Taylor.
Persoon (44-3, 18 KOs) fought her typical fight, attacking every moment of every round. Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) had difficulty coping last year. This time, she used poise, quick feet and sharp counter punches to largely neutralize her Belgian rival.
Taylor, the better boxer and athlete, was an elusive target. She moved her head to avoid many of Persoon’s shots and used her feet to spin or dance out of trouble time and again. Meanwhile, she punched more accurately than Persoon, which obviously impressed the judges.
Here are highlights of the fight, courtesy of DAZN.
Katie Taylor made a strong statement in her entertaining rematch with Delfine Persoon on Saturday. The undisputed lightweight champion, who struggled to eke out a victory in their first fight, withstood Persoon’s relentless pressure to win a clear, …
Katie Taylor made a strong statement in her entertaining rematch with Delfine Persoon on Saturday.
The undisputed lightweight champion, who struggled to eke out a victory in their first fight, withstood Persoon’s relentless pressure to win a clear, unanimous decision on the Dillian Whyte-Alexander Povetkin card in Brentwood, England.
The Irishwoman won by scores of 98-93, 96-94 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Taylor.
Persoon (44-3, 18 KOs) fought her typical fight, attacking every moment of every round. Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) had difficulty coping last year. This time, she used poise, quick feet and sharp counter punches to largely neutralize her Belgian rival.
Taylor, the better boxer and athlete, was an elusive target. She moved her head to avoid many of Persoon’s shots and used her feet to spin or dance out of trouble time and again. Meanwhile, she punched more accurately than Persoon, which obviously impressed the judges.
Here are highlights of the fight, courtesy of DAZN.
Dillian Whyte was lighter than his last outing in 2019 at the weigh-in for his anticipated showdown with Alexander Povetkin.
Dillian Whyte was, as expected, much leaner and much lighter than his last outing in 2019 at the weigh-in for his anticipated showdown with Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte (27-1, 18 KOs) came in at 252.4 pounds and looked to be in great shape for his interim heavyweight title defense against Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KOs).
Russia’s Povetkin came in at 224 pounds and looked as though he would measure at even less before removing his clothes.
“When the shirt came off, it was like he was growing,” said former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew. “David Haye was the same, he’d look so much slimmer in a T-shirt, and then when it came off, he was much bigger than you thought he was.”
Dillian Whyte looks mean and lean for his fight against Alexander Povetkin on Saturday. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing
Whyte spent an extended period of time during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, working on his size and shape after admitting he was not in the right place mentally during 2019, when he tipped the scales at as much as 280 pounds around his two fights that year.
Chief support pits unified lightweight champion Katie Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) against Delfine Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) in a rematch of their thrilling war on June 1 at Madison Square Garden, which some felt should have been awarded to Persoon.
The Belgian challenger also came in light, flirting with the junior lightweight realm at 132.4. Ireland’s Taylor, as per the norm for her, was almost spot on the 134.2.
After they hit the scales, Taylor and Persoon faced off for photographs, with the latter leaving her permitted area to get closer to the champ in what was perhaps a touch of mind games on the eve of the huge return bout.
Heavyweights Alen Babic (3-0, 3 KOs) and Shawndell Winters (13-3-9, 12 KOs) appeared more than capable of competing at cruiserweight or even light heavyweight when they took their turn on the stage.
Croatia’s Babic, a protege of Whyte’s who was with him in Portugal on sparring duty, weighed 205. Chicago native Winters, meanwhile, would actually make cruiserweight at 194 as he seeks to counter his foe’s promising power with movement and finesse.
Luther Clay (13-1, 5 KOs) and Chris Kongo (11-0, 6 KOs), scheduled to take part in a welterweight bout, came in at similar weights despite the challenger’s decided height advantage.
It was 145 for the unbeaten Kongo and 145.5 for the shorter champion in what could steal the stacked show on Saturday.
And the card’s opening contest will see Josh Cullen (18-2, 9 KOs) face Zak Chelli (7-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction.
Cullen was expected to weigh comfortably inside having just moved up from middleweight, where he was defeated by Commonwealth champion and Fight Camp 3 headliner Felix Cash. He did at 164.4, with Chelli only a shade heavier at 164.5.
With the final pre-fight night formality out of the way, promoter Eddie Hearn admitted that there is definitely a correlation between all the light weights and the pandemic-forced bubble created for these four cards at his company’s Mascalls HQ in Brentwood.
“There’s not a lot to do here other than train,” explained Hearn. “Shawndell Winters has been training twice a day. Some guys, like Josh Cullen, are stepping up in weight class so will come in relatively light anyway.”
Matchroom Fight Camp 4, headlined by Dillian Whyte vs. Alexander Povetkin and Katie Taylor vs. Delfine Persoon, airs live on Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K. and DAZN in the U.S. on Aug. 22.
Dillian Whyte was lighter than his last outing in 2019 at the weigh-in for his anticipated showdown with Alexander Povetkin.
Dillian Whyte was, as expected, much leaner and much lighter than his last outing in 2019 at the weigh-in for his anticipated showdown with Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte (27-1, 18 KOs) came in at 252.4 pounds and looked to be in great shape for his interim heavyweight title defense against Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KOs).
Russia’s Povetkin came in at 224 pounds and looked as though he would measure at even less before removing his clothes.
“When the shirt came off, it was like he was growing,” said former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew. “David Haye was the same, he’d look so much slimmer in a T-shirt, and then when it came off, he was much bigger than you thought he was.”
Dillian Whyte looks mean and lean for his fight against Alexander Povetkin on Saturday. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing
Whyte spent an extended period of time during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, working on his size and shape after admitting he was not in the right place mentally during 2019, when he tipped the scales at as much as 280 pounds around his two fights that year.
Chief support pits unified lightweight champion Katie Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) against Delfine Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) in a rematch of their thrilling war on June 1 at Madison Square Garden, which some felt should have been awarded to Persoon.
The Belgian challenger also came in light, flirting with the junior lightweight realm at 132.4. Ireland’s Taylor, as per the norm for her, was almost spot on the 134.2.
After they hit the scales, Taylor and Persoon faced off for photographs, with the latter leaving her permitted area to get closer to the champ in what was perhaps a touch of mind games on the eve of the huge return bout.
Heavyweights Alen Babic (3-0, 3 KOs) and Shawndell Winters (13-3-9, 12 KOs) appeared more than capable of competing at cruiserweight or even light heavyweight when they took their turn on the stage.
Croatia’s Babic, a protege of Whyte’s who was with him in Portugal on sparring duty, weighed 205. Chicago native Winters, meanwhile, would actually make cruiserweight at 194 as he seeks to counter his foe’s promising power with movement and finesse.
Luther Clay (13-1, 5 KOs) and Chris Kongo (11-0, 6 KOs), scheduled to take part in a welterweight bout, came in at similar weights despite the challenger’s decided height advantage.
It was 145 for the unbeaten Kongo and 145.5 for the shorter champion in what could steal the stacked show on Saturday.
And the card’s opening contest will see Josh Cullen (18-2, 9 KOs) face Zak Chelli (7-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction.
Cullen was expected to weigh comfortably inside having just moved up from middleweight, where he was defeated by Commonwealth champion and Fight Camp 3 headliner Felix Cash. He did at 164.4, with Chelli only a shade heavier at 164.5.
With the final pre-fight night formality out of the way, promoter Eddie Hearn admitted that there is definitely a correlation between all the light weights and the pandemic-forced bubble created for these four cards at his company’s Mascalls HQ in Brentwood.
“There’s not a lot to do here other than train,” explained Hearn. “Shawndell Winters has been training twice a day. Some guys, like Josh Cullen, are stepping up in weight class so will come in relatively light anyway.”
Matchroom Fight Camp 4, headlined by Dillian Whyte vs. Alexander Povetkin and Katie Taylor vs. Delfine Persoon, airs live on Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K. and DAZN in the U.S. on Aug. 22.
Dillian Whyte, eager to put a difficult 2019 behind him, is fit physically and mentally for his fight with Alexander Povetkin on Saturday.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Dillian Whyte expects to beat Alexander Povetkin on Saturday after his own career was “in tatters” last year.
Whyte was suspended after a drug test during fight week against Oscar Rivas in July 2019 revealed an “adverse finding,” though he was cleared in December. He returned to action that same month on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he looked rusty but managed to defeat Polish fighter Mariusz Wach.
Now, with his challenging 2019 behind him,Whyte is optimistic about the future. He trained for five productive months in Portugal before returning to England to face Povetkin at Fight Camp in Brentwood, outside London. He sees this as an opportunity to show the world what he can do.
“I haven’t got any issues outside of the ring,” he said. “I feel mentally and physically strong. I’ve prepared well, and the whole of last year was a write-off.
“I had a lot of issues, different things on my mind. I’m fighting for my career. When people say things about you, you can’t defend yourself. My stock plummeted, and now I’m in a good place, back where I should be.
“I’ve got a chance to shine against a good fighter and to be a credible fighter.”
Whyte defeated Wach by a unanimous decision but didn’t look like the fighter who beat Dereck Chisora twice, Joseph Parker and Robert Helenius, among others, since he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his own only title fight in 2017.
The problem was obvious: Lack of proper preparation, which certainly isn’t an issue going into the Povetkin fight. The time in Portugal was part of a fresh start., which he believes will produce positive results.
“In the situation, I had three weeks notice,” he said of the Wach fight. “I wasn’t training, I wasn’t in any form or shape to fight. But for my mentality, my longevity, as a person and for my mental health, I had to fight regardless.”
“… I was able to train, able to shift some unwanted weight [in Portugal]. Last year, my career was in tatters, my life was in tatters. My status as a fighter and my credibility as a person was in shambles.
“It was good to get away and focus. It was what I needed. I never change, I’m just in better shape sometimes, more motivated sometimes. Sometimes I’ve got things going on in and around the game, but this time I feel good. I’m ready to rock. I’ve trained hard.
“I’m fit. You can tell by looking at my face that I’m healthy. My face is back to normal.”
Whyte acknowledged that Povetkin poses a threat given the 40-year-old Russian’s wealth of experience but expects to be successful and use the fight as preparation for even bigger challenges.
“Povetkin has probably fought 40 guys like me as an amateur, much less a pro,” he said. “So for me, it’s just learning and improving, so when it does come, I’ve ticked the box so I’m ready to stand up and become a world champion.
“It’s a hard fight. Nobody could ever say it’s an easy fight. You can see him for 15 years consistently at this level, giving world champions a problem. He gave [Wladimir] Klitscko a problem a few years ago.
“He’s technically sound, gives a good punch. He’s 40, but guys go on longer and stronger, getting better, these days. … He’s a very aggressive fighter. He’s strong, solid, and he comes forward.
“I don’t think he can stop me. I make technical mistakes, so who knows what they will try? They might come out earlier, they may wait. Let’s see what happens. I’m prepared for whatever.”
Dillian Whyte, eager to put a difficult 2019 behind him, is fit physically and mentally for his fight with Alexander Povetkin on Saturday.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Dillian Whyte expects to beat Alexander Povetkin on Saturday after his own career was “in tatters” last year.
Whyte was suspended after a drug test during fight week against Oscar Rivas in July 2019 revealed an “adverse finding,” though he was cleared in December. He returned to action that same month on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he looked rusty but managed to defeat Polish fighter Mariusz Wach.
Now, with his challenging 2019 behind him,Whyte is optimistic about the future. He trained for five productive months in Portugal before returning to England to face Povetkin at Fight Camp in Brentwood, outside London. He sees this as an opportunity to show the world what he can do.
“I haven’t got any issues outside of the ring,” he said. “I feel mentally and physically strong. I’ve prepared well, and the whole of last year was a write-off.
“I had a lot of issues, different things on my mind. I’m fighting for my career. When people say things about you, you can’t defend yourself. My stock plummeted, and now I’m in a good place, back where I should be.
“I’ve got a chance to shine against a good fighter and to be a credible fighter.”
Whyte defeated Wach by a unanimous decision but didn’t look like the fighter who beat Dereck Chisora twice, Joseph Parker and Robert Helenius, among others, since he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his own only title fight in 2017.
The problem was obvious: Lack of proper preparation, which certainly isn’t an issue going into the Povetkin fight. The time in Portugal was part of a fresh start., which he believes will produce positive results.
“In the situation, I had three weeks notice,” he said of the Wach fight. “I wasn’t training, I wasn’t in any form or shape to fight. But for my mentality, my longevity, as a person and for my mental health, I had to fight regardless.”
“… I was able to train, able to shift some unwanted weight [in Portugal]. Last year, my career was in tatters, my life was in tatters. My status as a fighter and my credibility as a person was in shambles.
“It was good to get away and focus. It was what I needed. I never change, I’m just in better shape sometimes, more motivated sometimes. Sometimes I’ve got things going on in and around the game, but this time I feel good. I’m ready to rock. I’ve trained hard.
“I’m fit. You can tell by looking at my face that I’m healthy. My face is back to normal.”
Whyte acknowledged that Povetkin poses a threat given the 40-year-old Russian’s wealth of experience but expects to be successful and use the fight as preparation for even bigger challenges.
“Povetkin has probably fought 40 guys like me as an amateur, much less a pro,” he said. “So for me, it’s just learning and improving, so when it does come, I’ve ticked the box so I’m ready to stand up and become a world champion.
“It’s a hard fight. Nobody could ever say it’s an easy fight. You can see him for 15 years consistently at this level, giving world champions a problem. He gave [Wladimir] Klitscko a problem a few years ago.
“He’s technically sound, gives a good punch. He’s 40, but guys go on longer and stronger, getting better, these days. … He’s a very aggressive fighter. He’s strong, solid, and he comes forward.
“I don’t think he can stop me. I make technical mistakes, so who knows what they will try? They might come out earlier, they may wait. Let’s see what happens. I’m prepared for whatever.”
The undisputed lightweight champion did take the time out, however, to commend the new undisputed welterweight world champ on edging the previously undefeated Braekhus (36-1, 9 KOs).
“Congratulations to Jessica on a fantastic performance,” Taylor told DAZN News as part of a Zoom conference call with the media Tuesday. “She is the undisputed welterweight champion right now, and to be beat a reigning champion like Cecilia was a fantastic achievement. Another great fight for women’s boxing.”
While she refused to be goaded into looking ahead to a possible rematch with McCaskill, Taylor did offer that she wasn’t “hugely surprised” that “CasKILLA” pulled off the majority decision.
“I did think that Cecilia might eventually outbox her, but I’m not really hugely surprised that Jessica beat her,” Taylor said later in the call. “I think Jessica is obviously a great fighter. She has a big punch, and that’s why she’s able to step up in that weight division and cause problems.”
Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) defeated McCaskill (9-2, 3 KOs) via unanimous decision back in December 2017, and the two undisputed champs could find themselves having to agree on a catchweight for a mega rematch if Taylor beats Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) again.
The Belgian fighter took Taylor the distance in June 2019, with many believing that she did enough to become the undisputed lightweight champion. Now, it’s up to Taylor, who eked out a narrow majority decision in their first meeting, to deliver a more convincing performance Saturday at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, as part of the Dillian Whyte vs. Alexander Povetkin card.
To do that, Taylor must be able to handle Persoon’s smothering, forward-fighting style.
“It definitely is a very, very awkward style, and it’s a style that’s probably hard to look good against at times as well,” Taylor said. “But I am prepared for this. I’ve gotten the best of sparring the last few months. I think I have to be a bit smarter this time around, be a bit more disciplined.”
By “more disciplined,” Taylor means not abandoning her boxing ability to oblige Persoon’s phone booth brawling.
If she does that and wins Saturday, Taylor said, she’ll expound on a rematch with McCaskill and simply being “involved in the biggest fights possible.”
The undisputed lightweight champion did take the time out, however, to commend the new undisputed welterweight world champ on edging the previously undefeated Braekhus (36-1, 9 KOs).
“Congratulations to Jessica on a fantastic performance,” Taylor told DAZN News as part of a Zoom conference call with the media Tuesday. “She is the undisputed welterweight champion right now, and to be beat a reigning champion like Cecilia was a fantastic achievement. Another great fight for women’s boxing.”
While she refused to be goaded into looking ahead to a possible rematch with McCaskill, Taylor did offer that she wasn’t “hugely surprised” that “CasKILLA” pulled off the majority decision.
“I did think that Cecilia might eventually outbox her, but I’m not really hugely surprised that Jessica beat her,” Taylor said later in the call. “I think Jessica is obviously a great fighter. She has a big punch, and that’s why she’s able to step up in that weight division and cause problems.”
Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) defeated McCaskill (9-2, 3 KOs) via unanimous decision back in December 2017, and the two undisputed champs could find themselves having to agree on a catchweight for a mega rematch if Taylor beats Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) again.
The Belgian fighter took Taylor the distance in June 2019, with many believing that she did enough to become the undisputed lightweight champion. Now, it’s up to Taylor, who eked out a narrow majority decision in their first meeting, to deliver a more convincing performance Saturday at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, as part of the Dillian Whyte vs. Alexander Povetkin card.
To do that, Taylor must be able to handle Persoon’s smothering, forward-fighting style.
“It definitely is a very, very awkward style, and it’s a style that’s probably hard to look good against at times as well,” Taylor said. “But I am prepared for this. I’ve gotten the best of sparring the last few months. I think I have to be a bit smarter this time around, be a bit more disciplined.”
By “more disciplined,” Taylor means not abandoning her boxing ability to oblige Persoon’s phone booth brawling.
If she does that and wins Saturday, Taylor said, she’ll expound on a rematch with McCaskill and simply being “involved in the biggest fights possible.”
Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon, who fight Saturday at Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, are quite familiar with one another. They gave fans a compelling back-and-forth brawl in June of last year at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with …
Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon, who fight Saturday at Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, are quite familiar with one another.
They gave fans a compelling back-and-forth brawl in June of last year at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Taylor winning by a majority decision.
One judge scored it 95-95 while the other two had it 96-94 for Taylor, an indication of how close the fight was.
Afterward, Taylor insisted she did enough to earn the decision. A disappointed Persoon thought she deserved the nod.
In this video, courtesy of DAZN, we look back on their first fight as we look forward to the rematch.
Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon, who fight Saturday at Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, are quite familiar with one another. They gave fans a compelling back-and-forth brawl in June of last year at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with …
Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon, who fight Saturday at Fight Camp in Brentwood, England, are quite familiar with one another.
They gave fans a compelling back-and-forth brawl in June of last year at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Taylor winning by a majority decision.
One judge scored it 95-95 while the other two had it 96-94 for Taylor, an indication of how close the fight was.
Afterward, Taylor insisted she did enough to earn the decision. A disappointed Persoon thought she deserved the nod.
In this video, courtesy of DAZN, we look back on their first fight as we look forward to the rematch.
