Dillian Whyte Evens the Score: Stops Shaky Povetkin in the Fourth

The bout between Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin this past August was one of the most memorable fights of 2020. In their match, which was held in the backyard of the mansion in the London suburb of Brentwood that serves as the Matchroom Sport headquarters, Povetkin came off the deck twice to pull the fight out of the fire, ending the match in the fifth frame with a picturesque left uppercut. Whyte, who appeared on his way to a mid-round stoppage, was out before he hit the canvas in a dramatic turnaround.

There was a rematch clause and Whyte couldn’t wait to activate it. Povetkin-Whyte II was set for Nov. 21 but had to be pushed back when Povetkin tested positive for the coronavirus. It finally came to fruition today on the island of Gibraltar.

At the weigh-in and again tonight as he stood in the ring awaiting the opening bell, Povetkin looked sallow, begging the question of whether he was completely recovered from the virus that laid him low in November. They say the legs are the first to go in an aging fighter, and tonight the Russian, who turned 41 back in September, looked every bit his age. Throughout the fight, his balance was poor. This isn’t meant to take anything away from Whyte who was never gun shy, taking the fight to Povetkin from the opening bell. He drew blood from the Russian’s nose in the opening round and there was swelling around Povetkin’s left eye at the end of round two.

The end came when Whyte knocked Povetkin back against the ropes with a straight right and then floored him with a left hook. Povetkin’s corner had seen enough. The official time was 2:39.

Dillian Whyte, who went to post a consensus minus-360 (18 to 5) favorite, improved to 28-2 with his 19th knockout. Povetkin, whose previous losses were at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua, fell to 36-3-1.

Co-Feature

In the chief undercard bout, heavyweight Fabio Wardley (11-0, 10 KOs) bombed out Tex-Mex invader Eric Molina (27-7) with a big left hook in the fifth round. The six-foot-five Wardley, who had no amateur experience whatsoever, is an interesting prospect because he can really crack, but the 38-year-old Molina, a former two-time world title challenger, exposed cracks in his armor before the bout ended in Wardley’s favor. In fact, Molina was getting the best of the milling until Wardley closed the show.

Wardley’s manager of record is Dillian Whyte. All seven of Molina’s defeats have come via stoppage. The official time was 0:52 of round five.

Other Bouts

The 12-round match for the vacant British (BBBofC) 154-pound title between Ted Cheeseman and James Metcalf figured to be the most competitive fight on the card. It was indeed competitive and, more than that, it was an exciting see-saw affair in which both men were hurt at different times. Cheeseman had the lead heading into the middle rounds, but needed a second wind to reclaim his advantage. Metcalf, who was a small favorite, hurt him in the 11^th, but Cheeseman came back and put Metcalf down hard with a three-punch combination climaxed by a left hook a mini-second before the bell ending the round.

Metcalf, the son of former Micky Ward opponent Shea Neary, gamely made it to his feet but the fight was waived off. The official time was 3:10 of round 11.

Cheeseman improved to 17-2-1 (10 KOs). It was the first pro loss for the 32-year-old Metcalf who was an 8/5 favorite in man-to-man betting.

In a 10-round welterweight clash between previously unbeaten fighters, Michael McKinson (20-0, 2 KOs) scored an upset with a unanimous decision over Chris Kongo (12-1). McKinson set the tone with a flash knockdown in the opening round. Kongo, who had fought a much softer schedule (his previous opponents had 614 losses between them) had trouble adapting to McKinson’s southpaw style. The judges had it 97-93, 96-94, 95-94.

More

With his father in attendance, Campbell Hatton, the 20-year-old son of former two-division world champion Ricky Hatton, won his pro debut with a 4-round unanimous decision over sacrificial lamb Jesus Ruiz (0-11). Referee Victor Laughlin gave Hatton every round.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

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