Dillian Whyte got it right this time.
The Londoner, who was stopped by Alexander Povetkin with a single uppercut in August, returned the favor by knocking out his rival in the fourth round Saturday at Europa Point Sports Complex in the British territory of Gibraltar.
In the process, Whyte regained the status he lost in the first fight. He’s now the WBC “interim” titleholder and next in line to fight for a world title.
“I still believe I can be world champion, that I can beat anyone. I carry the power to beat anyone,” he said afterward.
Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) used his jab well but certainly wasn’t gun shy after the disaster of the first meeting, aggressively attacking Povetkin (36-3-1, 25 KOs) almost from the opening bell.
By Round 2, Whyte began to find his range. By Round 3, he began to land hard, accurate right hands that might’ve stopped a less durable opponent. And by Round 4, with Povetkin already worn down, he ended the fight in spectacular fashion.
Whyte sent Povetkin into the ropes with a big straight right with about 35 seconds left in the round. He followed with another right that staggered his prey. And he finished the job with a huge left hook that put Povetkin onto his behind.
The Russian staggered to his feet but was in no condition to continue, which prompted referee Victor Loughlin to save Povetkin from taking further punishment.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:39 of Round 4.
And just like that Whyte corrected the misstep of seven months ago, which had plunged his career into uncertainty. Now he’s in a good position to fight for a major belt once the title-unification fight (or fights) between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua plays out.
Whyte said afterward that he would consider a third fight with Povetkin but no one will want to see that after his complete dominance on Saturday.
He was asked how he felt after turning the tables on is rival.
“I’m ready to run it back again if he wants it again. That’s how I feel,” he said. “If he wants a rematch and they pay me the right money, I’ll fight him again because I shouldn’t have lost the first time. …
“It’s just one of those things. I’m annoyed at myself for losing the first time. All I had to do was be a bit smarter, not make a silly mistake and pay for it.”
Whyte has an idea for his next fight: Good money for a less threatening opponent, at least while he waits to see how the title picture evolves.
“[Promoter] Eddie [Hearn] likes to put me in these hard fights,” he said. “This time get me an easy fight so I can make some damn money without so much risk.”
Hearn evidently is on board with that.
“Firstly, there was a lot of talk about his career being on the line,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure. And what he did tonight was he carried on where he left off before the knockout last time. He manhandled Povetkin from the first round. He never recovered.
“… His world championship dreams were on the line tonight. I think he’s right. I would like to see him box quickly again this summer, maybe go to the United States and fight there because you know there’s a logjam.”
But …
“The ultimate aim has always been for Dillian Whyte to challenge for the world heavyweight title,” Hearn added. “Everyone knows in boxing he’s a handful for anyone in the division. Tonight was about getting his career back on track, getting his world title ambitions back on track.
“Coming back from that knockout wasn’t easy. He showed tonight that he wasn’t going to be denied. … We’re back where we want to be.”
