Boxing
Whyte vs. Povetkin 2: Tony Bellew expecting big performance from Dillian Whyte
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Tony Bellew was a shocked spectator at Matchroom’s Fight Camp when Alexander Povetkin brutally halted Dillian Whyte last summer. The Brixton man was on the verge of registering an impressive stoppage of his own when he dropped the Russian veteran twice in the fourth session. Still, those moments of success were a distant memory seconds later as Povetkin landed one of the punches of 2020.
With Whyte’s world title ambitions temporarily placed on hold due to the manner of the Povetkin result, anything but victory on Saturday night when he faces Povetkin again will surely put an end to any hopes that Whyte still possesses of becoming world champion. Bellew is adamant that Whyte can make an emphatic statement when the pair clash in Gibraltar this weekend.
“I’m going for Whyte in eight rounds and he’ll look good doing the job,” revealed Bellew when speaking exclusively to DAZN. “The first four rounds of that first fight were perfect from Whyte but the fifth was a harsh reminder of just how dangerous and cruel the heavyweight division can be. You’re boxing the fight of your life and in one second it’s all over. He was given that lesson in a big way and you’ll see how well he responds from it.”
With Whyte desperate to fulfill a lifelong ambition of competing for the heavyweight title, he has the opportunity to remind those currently above him in the rankings that he is still a genuine threat. With boxing’s glamour division currently showing huge potential, how does Bellew believe Whyte stacks up against the best of boxing’s big men?
“He’s a hard night’s work for anyone when he’s 100%, but that’s the Dillian Whyte we need to see every fight from now on," Bellew said. "Since losing to Anthony Joshua a few years back, Dillian has worked so hard to improve, and he’s always looking to better himself. It’s hard to go out there and make a big statement against the best fighters in the division because there’s a lot of quality, but if Whyte is firing on all cylinders, then he’s an absolute nightmare to face.”
