Dillian Whyte eyeing potential Alexander Povetkin bout!
Unwilling to languish on the sidelines waiting for his distant 2021 showdown with WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KO’s), mandatory challenger Dillian “Body Snatcher” Whyte (27-1, 18 KO’s) is mulling over potential opponents. Thus far, Alexander “Russian Vityaz” Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KO’s) is at the top of the rather short list as was revealed in an interview with Sky Sports.
Technically speaking, Povetkin is not a bad selection. The former world champion just fought rising heavyweight contender Michael “The Bounty” Hunter (18-1-1, 12 KO’s) to an entertaining draw on the under-card of Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr II.
The spirited affair stands as the most recent piece of evidence that Povetkin does have a bit more left in the tank. Nevertheless, there will be a great deal of people ready to give Whyte an ear full of flack if he does indeed go with the Russian Vityaz.
“If he wants it, he can get it. It’s going to be a tear-up, because he is not really a mover and I’m not really a mover, so he’s a come forward fighter and I come forward. We’re going to have a scrap. Povetkin comes to fight doesn’t he? He doesn’t come to mess about.
“I’m the same, so let’s get it. Let’s see who has got the best left hook around.”
ONE LONG, WINDING ROAD
Among boxing’s current story-lines, Whyte loudly complaining about being Wilder’s #1 contender for hundreds of days is one of the longest. Due to holding this status for so long without receiving a fight date, he has remained very vocal about his feeling that Wilder was avoiding him.
Regardless, of holding the top contender spot for so long, Whyte only officially acquired the “mandatory challenger” distinction with his July 20 win over Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (26-1, 18 KO’s). Directly after beating Rivas, however, Whyte became ensnared in a UKAD doping scandal that was only recently put to bed.
Yet, Whyte could have positioned himself to face Wilder much earlier had he fought and beat, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (31-2, 26 KO’s). This option is one that he has vigorously avoided (along with an opportunity to face Kubrat Pulev in an IBF eliminator for early 2018).
WHEN IS 40 BETTER THAN 40?
When asked why he did not want to dance with Ortiz, Whyte’s most consistent response is the dangerous Cuban southpaw was too old. Along with not signing on to face Ortiz, who at one time was the official WBC mandatory, the Body Snatcher has given Wilder a great deal of grief for battling King Kong.
This is precisely why it’s so curious that Whyte is so gung-ho to mix it up with Povetkin. The Russian is actually the same age as Ortiz. Therefore, it begs the question, “how is Ortiz too old at forty but Povetkin is perfectly suitable?”
By: Bakari Simpson
