Povetkin to face Whyte for WBC interim Heavyweight belt
Alexander Povetkin to fight Dillian Whyte in a rematch for the interim belt.
Matchroom
Alexander Povetkin is slated to face Dillian Whyte in a rematch over the WBC Heavyweight interim championship belt. The bout will take place on Mar. 27 in Gibraltar; the venue is the Europa Sports Complex. Povetkin took the belt off of Whyte in August of last year when Povetkin made an unlikely comeback after multiple rounds on the defensive and even two knockdowns at the hands of his Jamaican adversary.
It is somewhat unclear as to how this fight will proceed between the two fighters as many critics are suggesting that the 42-year old Russian is far past his prime. Despite the criticism, it is clear that Povetkin should not be taken lightly as he can turn the fight in an instant like in last year’s fight. Povetkin came back in the fifth round after being knocked down twice. Despite being on the defensive, he was able to pierce through Whyte’s defenses with a single decisive uppercut which sent Whyte sprawling to the ground without a chance of recovery.
The two men will spend the week leading up to the fight on board of ‘The world’s first 5-star super-yacht hotel.’ The Sunborn Hotel is one of the world’s largest yachts, standing at a whopping seven stories tall and 465 feet in length. The fighter’s and their teams are to be in a secure bubble before the fight as they want to minimize the possibility of COVID-19, which has already been postponed the night before. There were two delays, one as a result of Povetkin himself being hospitalized from COVID and the other being a result of stricter restrictions.
Ahead of the fight, Gibraltar has designed a commemorative two-pound coin in honor of Whyte and Povetkin. The two fighters are the first boxers to ever be put upon British currency, and Whyte is the first black person to have the honor.
“It is a great honor for someone like me to go down in history as the first boxer, and first Black man, to feature on sterling currency,” Whyte said in a statement.
“There’s a lot of black people that have done much bigger things than me, so it’s a really special occasion for me and my family. This is why we should never give up on children that come from disadvantaged and troubled backgrounds. Kids that are difficult and misunderstood at school can always turn out to do big things in their lives.”
This bout’s winner will be first in line to fight the WBC heavyweight champion, either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua.