Povetkin Bounces Back From 2-Knockdown Round and Stops Whyte in RD 5
UNITED KINGDOM (August 22, 2020) — Heavyweight fixture Alexander Povetkin closed out Matchroom Boxing’s outdoor Fight Camp series with a single scintillating left uppercut that erased former WBC mandatory Dillian Whyte’s preceding 10-7 round four.
Whyte appeared to be well on his way to finally securing his shot, sometime in 2021, at the eventual winner of the WBC championship after third fight between defending champ Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. After the relatively slow pace of the opening rounds Whyte scored a pair of knockdowns against Povetkin in round four. Incidentally, that was the first round Whyte didn’t touch gloves with Povetkin.
Maybe the former WBA (regular) titleholder and two-time unified title challenger took it personal. Povetkin unloaded a shot that will undoubtedly be the most indelible moment of the 4-week Fight Camp. Whyte never shed his patience, but in the midst of an exchange early in the fifth round he briefly exposed himself to beautifully set up left uppercut that he never saw. He had no chance of beating the count and before he was aware he was handed his second loss, and looking at having to figure out his next move. After the loss Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn confirmed a rematch clause was in place, and was bullish on Whyte exercising his right to it at a later time.
After really tactically fought action in rounds one and two, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) and Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) started trading leather in the third. Whyte landed a left hook that backed off Povetkin. Both fighters chopped away at one another’s bodies the rest of the way.
With the action fully underway, Whyte opened the fourth round aggressive, and dropped Povetkin with a left hook that ended a good exchange. Before the end of the round Whyte landed a compact left uppercut for a second knockdown.
Povetkin completed altered the course of the fight in the subsequent round. Perhaps feeling a response was needed to offset a 10-7 round, and falling far behind in the fight. The Russian through a jab, slipped off to his left to avoid a right hand then erupted with a crushing left uppercut directly to Whyte’s exposed chin. The jarring shot immediately stiffened Whyte’s legs and deposited the WBC’s No. 1-ranked Heavyweight underneath the bottom rope. The referee brought the fight to an end at :30 with a technical count out.
In the chief support bout for Whyte-Povetkin, undisputed Lightweight champion Katie Taylor soundly defeated former champion Delfine Persoon over 10 hard-fought rounds of action. The bout represented the third week in a row at Fight Camp with a memorable women’s match. Natasha Jonas nearly upset WBC Super Featherweight champion Terri Harper in absolute firefight back on August 7.
Photos by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
