Dillian Whyte will be looking to avenge his defeat from seven months ago when he faces Russian veteran Alexander Povetkin in a rematch on March 27. The fight was originally set to take place on March 6 but travel restrictions due to Covid 19 meant the fight has been delayed by three weeks. The likes of Ted Chessman and Eric Molina look set to be in action on the undercard with the main event looking likely to take place at around 10 PM.
The fight has been dubbed “The Rumble On The Rock” but will we see a repeat or revenge when the pair clash in Gibraltar.
The story of the first fight
In the build-up to the first fight, Dillian Whyte was seen as the favorite to beat Alexander Povetkin. Many pundits and boxing experts believed he would overwhelm Povetkin to force a shot at the WBC world heavyweight title.
Whyte had been a mandatory title contender for over a year and had beaten the likes of Derek Chisora twice, Joseph Parker, and Oscar Rivas. Alexander Povetkin was viewed as a tough opponent due to his vast experience and explosive knockout power however, it was believed that a much younger Dillian Whyte would be too fresh for the Russian veteran.
On the night it looked as if everything would go clean sailing for ‘The Bodysnatcher’ as he outboxed Povetkin for the opening three pounds mixing poise with power and landing a series of explosive shots. The Russian fighter was desperately hanging on in the fight after being knocked down on two occasions in the fourth round. Just as it looked as if The Russian fighter was down and out he produced a thunderous uppercut in the fifth round which left Dillian Whyte dazed on the floor in dreamland. After the fight, Dillian Whyte said: “It was one of those things, it just landed. I was bossing it. It is what it is. A rematch let’s go.”
Tale of the tape
| Dillian Whyte | Alexander Povetkin | |
| Age | 32 | 41 |
| Height | 6 foot 4 | 6 foot 2 |
| Fights | 39 | 39 |
| Wins | 27 | 36 |
| KOs | 18 | 25 |
| Draws | 0 | 1 |
| Losses | 2 | 2 |
The Rematch
The fight has huge implications on the heavyweight landscape and will likely prove a watershed moment in the careers of both Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin.
Dillian Whyte has been desperately seeking a title fight for over 18 months and has established himself as one of the top heavyweights in Europe having defeated the likes of Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora, and Oscar Rivas. Prior to his shock defeat to Povetkin in the first fight the only real chink in the armor for Dillian Whyte has been his British title defeat to Anthony Joshua however at that period in his career he was much less experienced and there has clearly been a lot of development in his game since that period.
If Whyte is to avenge his defeat to Povetkin then he will have a great chance of forcing a world title fight in the near future. The likes of Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and a rematch with Anthony Joshua would all be viable fights for The London fighter if he can get the job done against Povetkin.
From Povetkin’s perspective at the age of 41, it will likely be one of his final opportunities to force a world title fight. If he is to repeat his performance against Dillian Whyte he will be in contention for a third-world title fight of his career.
So far in his career, he has been defeated on just two occasions, both of which were in world title fights. First to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013 and the second against Anthony Joshua in 2018.
The betting odds
As it stands the bookies are expecting Dillian Whyte to avenge his defeat against Alexander Povetkin and he is the 3/10 favorite according to SkyBet to get the victory in Gibraltar. Whereas a victory for Povetkin is priced slightly higher with odds of 9/4.
Prediction
Despite a defeat during the last encounter, Dillian Whyte should be able to bounce back from this defeat last time out. In the last fight, Whyte’s performance was pitch-perfect in the opening four rounds and his aggression and energy were too much for Povetkin as he bombarded him with punches. Dillian Whyte at the age of 32 should be hitting the prime of his career and should have learned a great deal from his defeat in September.
Despite that, it is no secret that Alexander Povetkin possesses one of the most lethal left hooks in boxing and it was no fluke last time out when The Russian was able to get the knockout in trademark fashion during fight camp. For Dillian Whyte to win in this fight he must remain switched on defensively and make sure that he does not leave him exposed at any moment. Heavyweight boxing is very punishing and one moment of lapse in concentration can completely change the pattern of a fight as we saw during the first encounter.
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