Tag Archives: Dillian Whyte

Posted on 09/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It’s been nearly two years since Jermaine Franklin was last seen in the ring. Still, despite his inactivity, when the Michigan native returns, he insists that he doesn’t want a soft touch.

Over the past few months, both Franklin and his team have gone back and forth with the representatives of heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte. Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s long-time promoter, has viewed Franklin as a possible candidate for Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) as he eyes a ring return in late October. But while Hearn and Whyte have yet to name Franklin as the next official opponent, Franklin claims that the snail-like pace of their negotiations is unnecessary.

“Why drag this out for so long to not make it happen,” said Franklin during an interview with BoxingScene.com. “I want the fight. I signed the bout agreement on my end. They brought my name up first. I was like, ‘Yes let’s do this. I want to show the world I’m the best.”

Before inactivity struck, Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) consistently walked through the ropes regularly. In 2019, in particular, he was considerably active. On the year, the undefeated contender recorded three victories against Rydell Booker, Jerry Forrest, and Pavel Sour.

A showdown against Whyte, however, would represent a massive leap in competition. The highly ranked heavyweight contender avenged a 2020 knockout loss at the hands of Alexander Povetkin with a fourth-round stoppage victory in the immediate rematch earlier this year.

The British native has continued his march up the heavyweight ladder and has made headlines pertaining to a title shot against either WBC belt holder Tyson Fury or unified champion, Anthony Joshua.

But while Whyte has made his intentions clear that he would like to wrap gold around his waist, the 33-year-old is gearing up for his ring return in the meantime. If, in fact, a matchup against Franklin comes to fruition, considering Franklin’s lack of experience against high-caliber fighters, Whyte figures to be the favorite.

Regardless of that, Franklin believes he’s ready to take his career to the next level. And to prove that, he wants to make an example out of Whyte.

“I’m undefeated and ready for the step-up fight and I promise I will knock Betty Whyte out.”

Posted on 04/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Daniel Dubois buried his face into his hands. The heavyweight contender couldn’t believe what had just happened to him several months ago. The British native was seemingly on his way to taking his career to the next level. All that needed to be done was for him to win his November 28th, 2020 showdown against former Olympic Silver medalist Joe Joyce.

Going in, both oddsmakers and the boxing public believed the 23-year-old would get the job. Yet, after ten punishing rounds, Dubois (15-1, 14 KOs) was forced to take a knee after a persistent heavy jab found the mark over and over again. Referee Ian John-Lewis counted Dubois out as he continued to paw at his severely swollen left eye.

Once their contest was officially over, the criticism came in waves. Shortly after his defeat, it was revealed that Dubois had broken his orbital bone. Still, the condemnation continued. Although Dubois could handle it all, it was the words of fellow British native Dillian Whyte, that seemingly hit a cord.

“Man’s out here quitting in mid-fight, sh*t,” said Whyte immediately following Dubois’s defeat. “One thing with me, no quit, straight warrior. If I’m losing, I’m getting knocked out. Straight warrior, straight warrior.”

Whyte, 33, has proven on several occasions that he would, in fact, rather go out on his shield as opposed to stopping due to injury or any other reason. The current WBC heavyweight interim titleholder bounced back nicely from a fifth-round stoppage loss at the hands of Alexander Povetkin, only to stop him in the fourth in their subsequent rematch.

The road to the top is a long and arduous one for Dubois but he appears determined to put in the work to do so. While he has no doubt that he will face numerous contenders along the way, he simply hopes that he crosses paths with Whyte.

“One day, I’d like to get in the ring with Dillian Whyte,” said Dubois during an interview with Dailymail. “I’d like to show him just how much of a quitter I am. All of it will give me the experience I need as a fighter. I’ll get better fights under my belt.”

In terms of who Dubois envisions himself facing in the short term, he has no idea. One thing he does know for sure, however, is that former opponents who were reluctant to pick up the phone and accept a showdown with him will suddenly become brave after his most recent ring outing.

“I have to be ready to fight whoever they bring at me now. Guys that weren’t taking the fight before, they will have it now. They will try and copy Joe and I’m looking forward to that. Seeing what I have got up against me. They will think the aura is broken and they will think they’ll have me, that I’m vulnerable. They can try to mess with me, they can insult me if they want and talk about what happened. I’m relishing that prospect and seeing these fighters that were hiding before and now they’ll take it.”

Posted on 04/07/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Dillian Whyte is still living off the high associated with scoring an impressive knockout win. The current heavyweight contender peeled himself off the mat in his first stoppage defeat against Alexander Povetkin in August of 2020, to push the 41-year-old on the brink of retirement.

Following the win, Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) set his sights on facing some of the bigger names in the division. With unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua currently wrapped up in negotiations with fellow unified champion Tyson Fury, both men are seemingly off the table. However, a certain heavy-handed knockout artist is still currently available in Deontay Wilder.

The former WBC belt holder is patiently waiting on the verdict of an arbitration he is enforcing against Fury to push a third fight between them. If for some reason things don’t go his way legally, Wilder could be left without a dance partner. But before the former world titlist flips through his Rolodex to find his next opponent, Whyte believes the two should get it on.

“I think the public demand for the Wilder fight is already there, to be honest,” said Whyte to Sky Sports. “There’s a lot of demand for it already. Fighting in America doesn’t hurt and it does increase the profile and the interest, and a different fan base and following. It would be good to get a big fight in America in the summer.”

Although Whyte says he would be perfectly alright with fighting Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) in America, up until this point, the British native has fought only once stateside. Presumably, Whyte would be outside of his comfort zone. But even with that being the case, the current WBC interim titlist is perfectly alright with it. With both Wilder and Whyte screaming and shouting at one another through social media and interviews for years, Whyte is willing to face Wilder anywhere at this point. Even in the most awkward of places.

“I’ll fight Wilder in Alabama if that’s what is going to make him feel secure and safe enough to take the fight. If he wants, he can have the home judges, his hometown, whatever. I don’t care. I’d even fight him in his own home, the kitchen, the garage, the garden, wherever. I just want to get hold of him and hurt him.

“I’m going to go to fight, I’m going to give it my all, and be the best I can be. I always come to fight and leave it all in the ring. I’m coming for war. I’m coming to put on a destructive display. Wherever the fight is, whatever is going on, I’m cool.”

Posted on 03/27/2021

By: Oliver McManus

It was revenge for Dillian Whyte on Saturday night as he rocked Alexander Povetkin to claim the interim WBC heavyweight world title. Real success came at the beginning of the fourth round for Whyte who had the Russian trembling on his legs. Two minutes later and Whyte had his man wobbling again. Povetkin was unstable, he hit the canvas, and Victor Loughlin had seen enough, waving the contest off just as the towel flew in from the Russian corner.

A world title shot for Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) seems unlikely anytime soon with Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk vs Joe Joyce supposedly getting the go ahead. With that in mind, it’s hard to see how Whyte can force himself into the situation but here’s three names that could see him do just that.

Deontay Wilder

We’re yet to know what Deontay Wilder’s next move is but the former WBC titlist will no doubt be keen to regain his old belt. A win against Whyte, for the interim version, would put him in pole position. Whilst Wilder has plenty of middling Americans that he could return against, a fight with Whyte guarantees big money and big entertainment: the pair would surely slug it out from start to finish.

You could well make a case, too, that a win over Wilder (41-1-1, 41 KOs) would be Whyte’s best victory – regardless of the fashion in which Tyson Fury dismantled the American.

Eddie Hearn has been vocal in his desire to make the contest in America and the sincerity of that is clear to see. It’s a dangerous fight for both men but, actually, one you imagine Wilder is more reluctant to take.

Andy Ruiz

Andy Ruiz is another former Champion looking to get back onto the path for titles but with a style, you suspect, suits Whyte. If the Brixton man boxes as he did on Saturday night, then Ruiz could see a similarly early night. Ruiz is in action against Chris Arreola on May 1st but this is a fight that could easily be made for early-Autumn.

Whyte likes to keep the action at short-range and Ruiz has a habit of peppering in at a close distance – it’s usually effective but Whyte is a different handful altogether. Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) clearly holds the biggest win of the available names but feels less of a threat than the huge heavy-handed punchers in the division. Whyte would have a real opportunity to impress against Ruiz… though I could be underestimating Ruiz for a second time.

The Best Of The Rest

There seems to be a real desire for Whyte to explore the American market having beaten most of the middle-ranking opponents available domestically and in Europe. Plenty of big fish are available and the only question on the table is whether they’d be willing to step in with Whyte: especially after a series of explosive wins.

Clearly, there are areas of Whyte’s game that quality fighters can exploit and you’d hope that would be enough to give the likes of Ruiz and Wilder confidence enough to ink the contract. If those big names don’t come straight away, then the likes of Charles Martin and Adam Kownacki edge easily into the conversation.

Of course, those two aren’t on the same level as Wilder or Ruiz but they are fighters who carry name recognition and give Whyte that opportunity to introduce himself to an American audience. Martin would likely be the better option, despite losing to Kownacki in September 2018, but that fight would be just a test to see how quickly Whyte can stop the American.

Obviously, there’s added intrigue, if you can call it that, as to whether he’d be able to do the job quicker than Joshua but that’s about the only selling point.

Having said all of that, would you bet against Eddie Hearn doing something a little sadistic and chucking Zhilei Zhang in with Dillian Whyte? I certainly wouldn’t.

Posted on 03/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Dillian Whyte promised things would be different this time around. After controlling much of their first contest, Whyte quickly found himself staring up at the ceiling lights in his August 22nd, contest against Alexander Povetkin.

Refusing to accept defeat, Whyte invoked his immediate rematch clause. While many believed he would suffer the same fate, Whyte assured everyone that he would knock Povetkin into next week.

Mission accomplished.

Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) came out of the gate cautious but aggressive. He found his range with the jab and attacked the body of his man. Povetkin, on the other hand, looked lethargic and gun shy. The former Olympic Gold medalist plodded forward and pushed forward a slow jab.

Unafraid of the Russian early on, Whyte began pummeling him. As Povetkin (36-3-1, 25 KOs) reached his corner at the end of the round, he slumped into his chair as if to indicate that a long night was ahead of him. That of course, proved to be wrong.

For the next two rounds, Whyte bullied the former WBC interim titlist. Although everything was going the way he envisioned, Whyte refused to get careless. The lasting images of Povetkin picking himself up off the deck twice in their first contest to land a game-changing left uppercut still resonated with the British product.

But while Whyte was weary early on, he turned on his aggression in the fourth. During the round, seemingly everything Whyte threw landed on the chin of Povetkin. The former contender staggered across the ring as Whyte continued the savage beating.

One final left hand sent Povetkin to the canvas and although he managed to sluggishly crawl his way to his feet, his corner had seen enough and thrown in the towel.

Immediately concerned with the safety of his opponent, Whyte signaled someone from his corner to grab a stool and handed it to Povetkin.

Once the win was officially in his back pocket, Whyte extended a helping hand to Povetkin even further, offering to give the faded contender an immediate rematch. However, with plenty of other big names currently residing at the top of the heavyweight division and with the one-sided nature of their second contest, there may not be an appetite for a third showdown.

Posted on 02/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Whatever new game plan Dillian Whyte planned on utilizing against Alexander Povetkin will apparently have to wait.

According to promoter Eddie Hearn, the pair’s March 6th rematch has officially been pushed back to March 27th. News of the delay is frustrating to Whyte, but not something he hasn’t grown accustomed to.

After outboxing and punishing his man throughout the first four rounds of their original contest which took place in August, Whyte found himself asking what the hell happened as Povetkin turned off his lights in the fifth round.

Not wanting to waste any time, Whyte immediately asked for a rematch. His request may have been granted as the two were scheduled to go again in late November, but a positive COVID-19 test from team Povetkin forced a delay.

Now, unfortunately for Whyte, the current worldwide pandemic has caused him grief yet again.

As Povetkin began putting the finishing touches on his training camp, the Russian native attempted to make his way via plane to the United Kingdom. Those plans however, were impossible as travel restrictions essentially made Povetkin immobile.

Hearn knows good and well that the delay is through no fault of Povetkin, but he also knows Whyte isn’t too pleased with the news either.

To somewhat make amends for a longer delay, Hearn will move their showdown to Gibraltar in the United Kingdom.

“In the current environment we are always having to think on our feet,” said Hearn. “We did everything to try and make March 6 happen, but with the new travel restrictions, it was impossible. Now we have something outside the box, compelling, and a unique setting for one of the Heavyweight Fights of the Year – roll on the Rumble on the Rock!”

Posted on 02/01/2021

By: Hans Themistode

In the sport of boxing, it’s seldom that the trash talking and physical threats are taken seriously. The reasoning is simple, either someone has what you want or, the fighters are attempting to drum up interest in their inevitable showdown.

In the case of heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte and his continual call outs of former WBC titlist Deontay Wilder, he merely wanted what Wilder had.

“It was the belt and not personal,” said Whyte during an interview with Ak and Barak, “But obviously the energy is different.”

For Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs), the motivation to face Wilder is still high, however, it isn’t quite the same.

After spending years chasing the long-standing heavyweight champion, Whyte’s jaw hit the deck once he saw Wilder dominated and knocked out by Tyson Fury in late February just last year. While the defeat was surprising, Whyte found it somewhat ironic that Wilder lost the very title the British native has been pursuing his entire career.

“He was trying to make me wait for years and he did but then he ended up losing it.”

With Wilder now beltless, a showdown between the pair has lost a bit of its luster. With that being said, if a contract with Wilder’s name was presented to him, he would still sign without a moment’s hesitation.

“It’s a big fight and a fight that I would like at some point.”

While Whyte normally enjoys discussing his endless possibilities, he is fully aware that he still has work to do.

In what was originally thought to be a walk in the park matchup against Alexander Povetkin, the British native quickly found out that it would be one of the worst nights of his life. After dominating the first four rounds during their August showdown, including two knockdowns, Whyte appeared to be on his way to closing the show in the very next round.

Those thoughts, of course, never quite came to fruition as Povetkin turned the entire fight around with one left uppercut which ended Whyte’s 11 fight win streak. Now, after being forced to wait for Povetkin to recover from COVID-19, the two will run things back on March 6th.

Having had the time to look back at his knockout loss, Whyte offers no excuses. Instead, he simply tipped his cap to the Russian product.

“Povetkin is a serious dude. I was beating him up and dominating and lost concentration for a second and that was all she wrote you know.”

Posted on 01/15/2021

By: Hans Themistode

We were never supposed to be here in the first place, yet, here we are.

After scoring a come from behind knockout victory against Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin will look to prove that his upset win wasn’t a fluke.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has officially announced that on March 6th, both heavyweight contenders will face off with the WBC interim title on the line. The news of these two sharing the ring with one another serve’s as an immediate rematch from just a few short months ago.

On August 22nd, 2020, Whyte seemingly had their first encounter all but won. With two knockdowns in the fourth round, Whyte appeared on his way to closing the show in the very next round. However, Povetkin had other ideas as the multiple time title challenger landed a left uppercut that left Whyte unaware of his surroundings.

Following the win, Whyte immediately called for a rematch. Regardless of his request, Povetkin contracted COVID-19 and reportedly suffered issues with his lungs. He has since recovered and is now on track to face Whyte once again.

For both contenders, a win could place either man in the drivers seat in the heavyweight division. With the interim WBC tag up for grabs, a possible date with the winner between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could be in play.

As for where their contest could take place, all signs point to the UK, however, with fans possibly still not allowed inside of venues, their heavyweight showdown could go down abroad instead.

Posted on 12/26/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz was minding his business. The Cuban native just finished unwrapping presents with his children for Christmas and enjoyed watching their faces light up with excitement. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Ortiz received a present of his own as fellow contender Dillian Whyte brought up the possibility of facing him in the first half of 2021. From there, Ortiz frantically reached for his phone and started dialing numbers.

“I heard my name and I got excited,” said Ortiz during a recent interview with Boxingscene. “I called my manager, my coach, and (Al) Haymon to ask if there’s a possibility so I’m waiting patiently.”

Whyte’s interest in a showdown with Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) stems from his failed attempts to drag current WBC interim titlist Alexander Povetkin back into the ring with him. In late August, Whyte was riding high from an 11 fight win streak that dated back to 2015. With his persistent call outs to fight for a world title, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman assured Whyte that as long as he got past Alexander Povetkin, that his wish would be granted.

Things started off well for Whyte as he outboxed his man during the first three rounds before dropping him twice in the fourth. As the bell rang to kick off the fifth, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) seemed to be on track to stopping Povetkin and securing his title shot. Unfortunately for Whyte however, Povetkin had other plans as he scored a devastating left uppercut that immediately left Whyte unconscious before his head bounced off the canvas.

Since then, Whyte enacted his rematch clause. Part two between them was set to take place in late November until Povetkin informed team Whyte that he contracted COVID-19. Unlike most athletes who have had a quick and successful turnaround from the virus, Povetkin, 41, is said to be dealing with issues with his lungs.

Whyte took the time to sympathize with his opponent and urged him not to rush back. In the meanwhile, as he awaits Povetkin to receive the green light, Whyte called for a matchup with Ortiz.

“They keep saying that he’s sick so they keep delaying it,” said Whyte on Toe 2 Toe podcast. “Okay that’s fine, I want you to be at your best when I fight you so I’ll tell you what. Have as much time as you want. Let me fight Luis Ortiz in February then I’ll fight Povetkin later in the year.”

For Ortiz, he’s spent a mere 45 seconds inside of the ring this year. After taking some time to recover after his one-punch knockout loss at the hands of Deontay Wilder in November of 2019, Ortiz returned this past November against fringe contender Alexander Flores. Ortiz wasted no time in flooring his man with a body shot in the first round.

Following the win, Ortiz told reporters that he would love to make a quick turn around since he sustained no injuries or damage in the bout. Originally, Ortiz was believed to be eyeing a showdown with former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr., however, with Whyte naming him as a possible opponent, Ortiz is now shifting his focus.

“Look, I think me and Whyte would be a good fight. I think our fans would love it and I would love to jump in there with him and stand toe to toe with him and exchange some blows. If he’s available and willing – I’m available and ready.”

Posted on 12/17/2020

By: Hans Themistode

With one fatal left uppercut, all of the hard work that heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte had put forth went right down the drain.

Following 16 straight wins to start his career, Whyte suffered a major setback at the hands of fellow British rival and current unified champion Anthony Joshua via seventh-round stoppage. Despite the loss, Whyte had spent five full years rebuilding himself. By all accounts, he had done just that as he reeled off 11 straight wins.

Just when the former WBC interim titlist reached the top of the ladder and came within striking distance of his first world title crack, Russian contender Alexander Povetkin pushed him back to the bottom of the barrel. When the two met earlier this year in late August, Whyte was in clear control. In the fourth, Povetkin seemed to be on his way to an early night in the emergency room as he was dropped twice during the round.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Povetkin ducked low, cocked back and fired a left uppercut that left Whyte unconscious. Following the loss, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) immediately enacted his rematch clause. However, due to COVID-19, Povetkin has been forced to delay their second meeting.

While Whyte could continue to bide his time on the sidelines until his man fully recovers, he’d much rather face another big-name opponent in the meanwhile.

“They keep saying that he’s sick so they keep delaying it,” said Whyte on Toe 2 Toe podcast. “Okay that’s fine, I want you to be at your best when I fight you so I’ll tell you what. Have as much time as you want. Let me fight Luis Ortiz in February then I’ll fight Povetkin later in the year.”

For the 41-year-old Ortiz, a fight against Whyte could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Following two failed title contests against then belt holder Deontay Wilder, Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) has picked up several wins. Most recently, the Cuban native annihilated Alexander Flores in the first round roughly one month ago. A matchup between both Whyte and Ortiz would pit a pair of contenders that are ranked safely within the top six of the WBC sanctioning body.

With no exact date in mind in terms of when Povetkin will be fully fit to return to the ring, Whyte views a contest with Ortiz as not only a matchup that would allow him to stay active, but also one that he has been chasing for quite some time.

“I tried to fight Luis Ortiz three or four times. I’ll fight Ortiz in February and Povetkin in April or May. I want Povetkin to recover and be good. It’s a serious situation and he’s older. They say his lungs have problems because of Covid so let me and Ortiz fight and I’ll fight Povetkin after.”

Posted on 10/06/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Earlier this year, the boxing world stood back and watched Deontay Wilder take hard shot after hard shot at the hands of Tyson Fury which resulted in repeated trips to the canvas. 

Possessing what many believe is the hardest right hand in boxing history, both fans of Wilder and his trainer in Jay Deas believed that their man would land a miracle shot to change things on the night. Yet with each passing round, things only got worse. 

Wilder has always prided himself on being a warrior and appeared ready to go out on his shield until co-trainer Mark Breland mercifully threw in the towel. 

The moment that white flag of surrender hit the deck, it not only truncated Wilder’s five year title reign but it also left Breland out of a job. 

The split between Wilder and Breland was made official a few days ago. Now, he’ll move forward with only head man Jay Deas in his corner. A decision he believes is a sagacious one. For heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte on the other hand, Wilder is a flat out idiot.

“I think it’s the worst mistake he’s ever made. Mark Breland is the only person in his team that actually was a boxer and actually was a world champion. He was the only person that didn’t care about money or fame. Someone who was actually from an emotional point. Someone who understands, thinking about his health and did the right thing by throwing the towel in. He could have got seriously hurt.”

Wilder has always claimed to be fine throughout a beating that lasted seven rounds and resulted in perforated eardrums along with other medical issues. 

But as Whyte watched him stumble across the ring and seemingly fall over his own two feet on several occasions, he believed Wilder was a beaten fighter. Those sentiments he suspects, were shared by the one person in his corner who didn’t just stand idly by and watch him take a beating of a lifetime.

“He was getting hit with punches that weren’t knocking him out, they were concussing him. Mark Breland knows what it’s like, because Mark Breland has been in the same position Wilder was in. He’s someone that cares about the athlete and the boxing side of things. Not just ‘Bomb Squad’, nonsense. He doesn’t care about that. He’s the only one in the team, you don’t see him running around and shouting and screaming. He’s just a little quiet guy, does his job.”

“Deontay Wilder is an idiot, he clearly can’t see it. Good luck to him, it’s his team, he can do whatever he wants. But I think it’s a bad mistake. Mark Breland is the only one that knows boxing in his team.”

Posted on 09/19/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte was in clear control of his career. 

Following eight straight wins against some of the divisions very best including former belt holders Joseph Parker and Lucas Browne, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) found himself on the verge of his very own title shot. All the British native needed to do was dispose of the ancient 41 year old contender Alexander Povetkin on August 22nd. 

Before their matchup, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman went on the record stating that if Whyte managed to do what many were expecting, that he would be given the first shot at the Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury winner. 

Povetkin vs Whyte played out typically to start off. Whyte out boxed his man early until he landed bombs on the Russian contender in the fourth round, dropping him twice. Then out of seemingly nowhere, Povetkin landed a monstrous left uppercut that immediately turned off Whyte’s light switch. 

Before Whyte could give his concession speech though, he was calling for an instant rematch. Well, come November 21st, he’ll have his wish. 

Promoter Eddie Hearn didn’t sound thrilled when discussing Whyte’s quick turn around. With that being said, he simply acquiesced to his request.

“Moving into the rematch just 13 weeks after the first fight is very, very dangerous,” said Hearn to Sky Sports. “But Dillian Whyte wouldn’t have it any other way.”

For Povetkin, asking the recently turned 41 year old to make such a quick turn around would seem unfair on his part. But with a highlight level knockout win over his man already under his belt, both him and his team believe that they can and will do it again. 

“Povetkin and his team are ready to go,” said Hearn. “They don’t see a problem. They’ve knocked him out once and they believe they’re going to do it again in November. “

For the past half decade, Whyte carried both pressure and expectations into the ring with him. Following his knockout loss at the hands of current unified champion Anthony Joshua in late 2015, Whyte spent all of his time rebuilding his name and image. By all accounts, it worked. He was widely regarded as a top contender in the division and stood in the number one spot in the WBC rankings. 

The British native could have easily stood by, twiddled his thumbs and waited for his shot at a world title. Instead, he repeatedly placed everything on the line time and time again. The pressure to perform never seemed to bother him, but with two huge knockout losses on his record, Hearn believes the pressure on Whyte for his rematch with Povetkin is going to be out of this world. 

“This is the pressure of his career. He was controlling the fight August 22nd, and then brutal knockout. All of a sudden his career spins on its head. But he’s hugely motivated to put this right but it’s extremely dangerous. I think it’s terminal for his world title chances and that’s obviously the ultimate aim for Dillian Whyte. I think he knows the pressure.”

Posted on 09/15/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Dillian Whyte doesn’t want any time off. From the moment his limp body bounced off the canvas, on August 22nd, against Alexander Povetkin, Whyte was begging to redeem himself. 

The heavyweight contender officially got his wish earlier today as promoter Eddie Hearn announced a pay-per-view headlining rematch between the two on November 21st. 

Everything seemed to be going right for Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) during their first matchup. He was patient and countered well when needed. After two knockdowns in the fourth round from Whyte, fans began predicting who he would be facing next.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) landed one deleterious uppercut and the lights were immediately out well before Whyte’s head hit the mat. And just like that, years of working his way to the top of the division went down the drain. 

He’ll do his best to reach back into that drain to retrieve what he believes belongs to him. 

“I’m over the moon to have the rematch,” Whyte said in a press release. “As soon as I got out of the ring, I was looking for confirmation that the fight would be on. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and get back what is rightfully mine. I’m looking to do what I said I would the first time, and that’s beat Alexander Povetkin.”

Tape is often times a fighters best friend when it comes to rematches. The footage will show them what went wrong on the night and in the case of Whyte, how to avoid the left hook of Povetkin that ended his. Yet, Whyte isn’t interested in making any changes. The heavyweight contender simply believes that what happened the first time around won’t happen again.

“There won’t be any major adjustments, but I just need to be more switched on and not get distracted,” Whyte said. “He was able to use his experience against me. I will be a lot more focused and sharper in the rematch. I’m coming to win and knock him out. I’m coming to even the score, and the only way to do that is by knocking him out.”

Talking trash has always been a part of Whyte’s game, Povetkin on the other hand, not so much. So it came as no surprise that he heaped praise on Whyte while beginning his preparation.

“I’ve rested well, spent time with my family,” Povetkin said, “and now that the date of the rematch is known, I will soon return to my training camp and prepare as thoroughly as I did for the first fight. As I said before the first fight, and after it, too, Dillian Whyte is a good, strong boxer. I will be ready to enter the ring on November 21. I hope it will be another beautiful fight for the fans.”

Posted on 08/24/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Promoter Bob Arum apparently has no problem kicking a man while he’s down. 

Top Rank’s CEO sat back in his palatial estate, kicked his feet up and watched a Saturday night  filled with boxing. His promotional company had a headliner of light heavyweight contenders in Joe Smith Jr. and Eleider Alvarez. Premier Boxing Champions also had a slot which featured former welterweight champion Shawn Porter and the unheralded Sebastian Formella. 

But before either of those shows came on, heavyweight contenders Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin clashed on the other side of the world in a world title eliminator. 

Their contest went according to what most envisioned in the early goings. Whyte floored his man twice in the fourth and seemed to be on his way to a stopped victory. Then, out of nowhere, the dramatic theater of boxing struck as Povetkin knocked Whyte clean out in the fifth round.

There were some that felt bad for Whyte as he occupied WBC’s number one ranking for several years. Arum on the other hand, was not amongst them and piled onto the heavyweight contenders’ misery.

“Dillian Whyte was so busy fighting for his WBC mandatory position that he didn’t see Povetkin’s uppercut, which knocked him cold on his ass,” said Arum on his Twitter account. 

Following a 2015 loss to current unified champion Anthony Joshua, Whyte, 32, went on a 11 fight win streak. But even with the victories piling up against former champions and current contenders, Whyte couldn’t sniff a crack at a world title. 

Every chance he got, the British native called out the WBC sanctioning body for making him wait. Whether it was a rematch with Joshua or a shot against Tyson Fury, Whyte simply wanted his shot. Now, he’ll be forced to wait even longer as he has stated that he will pursue an immediate rematch with Povetkin. 

Should he reverse the outcome the second time around, Whyte could have his long awaited rematch with Joshua. However, there won’t be any titles on the line. At least according to Arum.

At the moment, the long time promoter has his heavyweight in Kubrat Pulev sitting in the mandatory IBF position to face Joshua next. Their matchup is set to take place at the back end of 2020, although there has been multiple delays. 

When the green light is given for Pulev and Joshua to step into the ring against one another, Arum is expecting the British empire that is Whyte and Joshua, to continue to crumble. 

“Pulev will KO Joshua next,” said Arum. “London Bridges are falling.”

Posted on 08/22/2020

Well, that was shocking. After finding himself on the canvas not once but twice, Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) was thought to be completely out of it against Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs).

The two squared off as the final event of Fight Camp in Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing backyard. Whyte walked into their contest as the heavy favorite and for good reason. Yet, no matter how many people counted Povetkin out, with one cold hearted left hook, he quickly put out the lights of Whyte in the fifth round and ended their contest in dramatic fashion.

Katie Taylor vs Delfine Persoon

There may not have been a crowd to give both Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon an applause, but there is no doubt that the fans watching from home gave a standing ovation.

Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) got the proverbial monkey off her back this afternoon. When the undisputed lightweight champion met Persoon (44-3, 18 KOs) last year, many were split on who won. This time around, Taylor left no doubt as she was the better boxer on the night.

Persoon, as always, came forward and created chaos for Taylor. To her credit though, she managed to avoid the big shots and land some of her own. It was clear that Taylor was in no mood for a firefight, yet she found herself in one during long stretches of their matchup.

Unlike their first contest however, Taylor dealt with the pressure like the champion that she is and walked away with her undefeated record intact.

The final scores were as followed: 98-93 and two scores of 96-94 all in favor of Taylor.

Chris Kongo vs Luther Clay

It was a systematical breakdown applied by welterweight prospect Chris Kongo (12-0, 7 KOs) against Luther Clay (13-2, 5 KOs).

Throughout much of their contest, Kongo dictated the pace. He showed that size does matter as he continually backed his man up. To the credit of Clay though, he never gave up and rallied back during the mid rounds.

His success however, was brief as Kongo began doubling up on his pressure. Clay reached his breaking point in the ninth round as he hit the deck. The referee began his count but quickly waved off their bout as Clay simply looked out of it.

Shawndell Winters vs Alen Babic

This year just hasn’t been kind to heavyweight journeymen Shawndell Winters (13-4, 12 KOs). Earlier this year, the Illinois native found himself on the wrong end of a knockout loss. That devastating defeat came at the hands of former heavyweight belt holder Joseph Parker.

Fast forward to today, and he once again found himself flat on the mat. This time at the hands of heavyweight prospect Alen Babic (4-0, 4 KOs). With only a few seconds into their second round matchup, Babic sent his man down to the deck. From there, the referee waved off the contest.