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Boxing

Whyte prepares for Povetkin: You can never, ever write me off

Alexander Netherton
Whyte prepares for Povetkin: You can never, ever write me offDAZN

Dillian Whyte has reaffirmed his belief that he will win his rematch with Alexander Povetkin.

Povetkin vs. Whyte was the crown event of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Fight Camp series, which took place as Britain removed some of their coronavirus restrictions, but without any spectators in attendance.

Whyte was the heavy favourite against the 40-year-old Povetkin, but was knocked out by a surprise uppercut to leave him prone.

The Brixton fighter exercised a rematch clause as soon as he had recovered, and threw himself back into training at his camp in Portugal.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Whyte believes he knows what he has to put right.

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"I'm a warrior, I don't make excuses," he said. 

"I done it wrong on the night and now I know exactly what I need to do to adjust and I'm ready to go again straight away.

"I just watched it back once, maybe twice, because I already know how the fight went. Bossing the fight, obviously I got distracted here and there with tactics he was doing.

"I was also kind of surprised that he was more hittable than I expected.

"I trained for him to be a lot better, and a lot faster and a lot sharper than he was. But it just shows how dangerous heavyweight boxing is; one punch can completely change everything.

"All credit to him, he landed with a perfect shot. Obviously he made a good decision, I made the wrong decision."

Meanwhile, Hearn claims that Povetkin could nobble Whyte’s belt ambitions once and for all in their match set for 21 November.

"All of a sudden, the pressure is not just on trying to become the mandatory and fight Tyson Fury, this is the pressure of his career on November 21," said Hearn.

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"Controlling the fight, a brutal knockout, and all of a sudden like that, his career spins on its head.

"He's hugely motivated to put this right, but it's extremely dangerous and of course, moving into the rematch, just 13 weeks after the first fight is very, very dangerous. But Dillian Whyte wouldn't have it any other way."

The Matchroom promoter believes that another defeat for Whyte would sink his career chances.

"I think it is terminal for his world title chances — and that's obviously the ultimate aim for Dillian Whyte. "I think he knows the pressures.

"He was deeply disappointed with getting knocked out from an amazing bit of skill from Alexander Povetkin, and he's got to put that right.

"Povetkin and his team ready to go. They don't see a problem. They've knocked him out once, they think they're going to do it again in November.

"A very confident Alexander Povetkin, and all of a sudden, all of the pressure lies on the shoulders of Dillian Whyte."