Alexander Povetkin not relying on power in Dillian Whyte rematch

With the fight originally slated for November and then January, Povetkin’s original training plans were thrown into disarray when it emerged the 2004 Olympic champion was suffering from Coronavirus. One of boxing’s eagerly-anticipated rematches was under threat but with a date now official, Povetkin claims he is fully recovered and ready to go. 

“I feel good,” revealed Povetkin when speaking to Izvestia. “There were problems after the Coronavirus but we fixed them all. It was hard to get involved in the training process after the illness but everything is normal now.”

For large portions of the first encounter, Povetkin was second best as he failed to deal with Whyte’s relentlessness. A slow start to the fight from the veteran gave Whyte huge confidence and when Povetkin hit the canvas twice in round four, it appeared he was set for the third defeat of his career following brave losses to Wladimer Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

Instead, Povetkin rallied and seconds into the next session, Whyte was caught with a stunning uppercut and he failed to beat the count. Fully aware he now possesses the power to halt the fight at any moment, Povetkin insists he’s not relying on his heavy hands for victory, he just wants to win at any cost.

“I have to take a responsible approach to the fight, prepare, and it is necessary to show beautiful boxing. I don’t think that if I knocked him out in the first fight, it means that I will definitely knock him out in the second. If you think like that then you will definitely lose and I never go out to lose. Anything can happen but I always go out to win."

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