Alexander Povetkin should retire, admits his promoter Andrey Ryabinskiy

Povetkin won the first bout with Whyte last August with a stunning uppercut in the fifth round, but it looked as though 'Father Time' had caught up with him in the four one-sided rounds that preceded the jackpot finish.

After contracting and recovering from a tough bout of COVID-19 between then and the frequently-postponed rematch, Povetkin was handily beaten in less than four rounds this past Saturday in Gibraltar, ultimately losing via a vicious knockout at the hands of 'The Body Snatcher'.

Ryabinskiy told Sky Sports that Povetkin has yet to decide whether or not to fight again, but that he honestly believes the time is right to hang up the gloves.

"In my opinion, now is the best time to end his career," he said.

"Sasha has a 1-1 score with one of the best heavyweights in the world. I will try to persuade Sasha, but it's his decision to make. We will support him in any case."

"Yes, we've talked right after the fight," Ryabinskiy explained. "Sasha, of course, is upset that he couldn't beat Dillian. But it's sport, you need to be prepared for any outcome."

Asked about the bond forged between the two warriors after two physical bouts and two explosive finishes, he continued: "Sasha always treats all his rivals with respect."

Whyte, meanwhile paid tribute to his adversary while admitting he had to resist the urge to make similar mistakes to their first encounter.

"From the first round, I was on to him, but then I was like, you know what, let me relax," Whyte told Sky.

"I was tempted to just go hell for leather in the first round, but maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do, because he's an Olympic gold medallist, a former world champion.

"He's only lost to me, Joshua and Klitschko. It shows how good the guy is, and he's very strong still. He threw an overhand right that I caught on my shoulder."