Former world champion Barry McGuigan backs Dillian Whyte to one day add his name to the list of British boxers to have held full-fledged world honours, despite his knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) looked superb for four rounds as he outboxed Russia’s Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs), only to be drilled with a tremendous left uppercut early in the fifth.
The loss means Whyte may have to wait before he receives the WBC championship match that he was in position for. At the very least, he'll have to avenge the result in a rematch with Povetkin first.
Nonetheless, in his Daily Mirror blog, former WBA and lineal featherweight champion McGuigan said he doesn’t think the KO will break the Londoner’s spirit - and could even make him a better fighter going forward.
“This might be the making of Dillian Whyte,” wrote McGuigan. “Though his pulverising loss to Alexander Povetkin might have felt like a disaster, it has created a huge buzz about him and the heavyweight division.
“And depending on how he responds it could push him to the front of the queue after standing in line for a title shot for more than a thousand days.”
The ‘Clones Cyclone’ continued: “Let’s see how the psychology plays out. It might not affect Whyte at all. A knockout does not seem to be as damaging to the big boys as it is for those in the lighter weights.
“Some are scarred but I have seen plenty of heavies knocked out and come back in the next fight like it never happened.
“People like to see knockouts. There will be excitement about the rematch, a fascination to see if Whyte can exact revenge.
“It won’t be easy. There is plenty of jeopardy, but Whyte will be encouraged by the work he did. He just has to finish the job.”
McGuigan also maintains that Povetkin’s fantastic finish would have beaten anyone - including, presumably, current heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
“Whyte was the victim of a perfect storm,” explained McGuigan, whose son Shane currently works as a trainer. “A brilliant shot that proved what I have always said, turn over 220 pounds at speed and, even if the opponent is made of concrete, he is going over.
“No fighter in the world would have taken that shot. Don’t forget the man who threw it won Olympic gold as an amateur in 2004 and has been beaten only by Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.
“We are talking about a retro heavyweight here, a 1960s/70s throwback to the 16st stylist. Povetkin was outweighed by two stones, but 220 pounds is always enough in the right hands, even against today’s 18st-plus behemoths.
“The irony is Whyte was performing so well, giving one of the most accomplished performances of his career.
“He wasn’t reckless. He fought with an educated jab and put his punches together well for four rounds. He had Povetkin over twice.
“It just shows, if you switch off for a second it’s over at this level. Povetkin’s corner were on the point of pulling him out. He came out for the fifth needing something and trying to push Whyte back.
“What a sequence it was. Jab, rapid weight transfer to the left, dip, bang, over and out. The jab was the key forcing Whyte’s hands to come forward, creating the space for the uppercut.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken of his determination to get the rematch set before 2020 is over, while Povetkin’s team have expressed an interest in staging the rematch on their home soil in Russia.