Tag: Matchroom Boxing

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.”

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, 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.”

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.

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.

The card will be streamed on DAZN.

“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.”

𝗠𝗔𝗫𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗠 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 coming to Matchroom HQ 🔥 #FightCamp@DillianWhyte and Alexander Povetkin ready for war! 👀 #WhytePovetkin #FightCamp4 pic.twitter.com/IQBdeVjMkg

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 20, 2020

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.”

Rascal clobber but bang up for a tear up – Team Povetkin touch down in London ahead of next Saturdays huge fight 🇷🇺 #WhytePovetkin #FightCamp @skysportsboxing @dazn_usa pic.twitter.com/slcKCi1glN

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 15, 2020

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.”

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.

The card will be streamed on DAZN.

“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.”

𝗠𝗔𝗫𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗠 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 coming to Matchroom HQ 🔥 #FightCamp@DillianWhyte and Alexander Povetkin ready for war! 👀 #WhytePovetkin #FightCamp4 pic.twitter.com/IQBdeVjMkg

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 20, 2020

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.”

Rascal clobber but bang up for a tear up – Team Povetkin touch down in London ahead of next Saturdays huge fight 🇷🇺 #WhytePovetkin #FightCamp @skysportsboxing @dazn_usa pic.twitter.com/slcKCi1glN

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 15, 2020

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.”