This is Rummy’s Corner.
I don’t know shit about boxing. Yep! I was wrong again. When these
two first met on August 22 last year the clash of styles produced a highly engaging battle.
The action had started deliberately with both guys looking to find the range with the jab,
and by the end of the opening round Povetkin and Whyte both started putting together some
short powerful combinations. Sasha and The Body Snatcher were both landing some hard clubbing
shots, and they were likewise absorbing incoming fire well. Neither guy neglected the body,
and the action had a back and forth flow. They battled on fairly even terms through 3 rounds
in that encounter, although Whyte appeared to be a little faster and a little sharper.
Round 4 was when Whyte had asserted himself. He dropped Povetkin with a sweet combination.
Povetkin beat the count, and Whyte remained very disciplined. Later in the round,
Povetkin went on the attack and Whyte clipped him with a short left uppercut that had him down
again. Povetkin rose and survived the final seconds of the round. In round 5 Whyte was
looking to build on his momentum, but before long, Povetkin launched a missile of an uppercut that
leveled The Body Snatcher. The fight was over. This was a significant victory for Sasha that
shook up the heavyweight scene a bit, because the general expectation going into that one
was that Whyte was on the rise and Povetkin was nearing the end of his career. There were a lot
of observers that believed Povetkin was fortunate to get a draw in his bout against Michael Hunter,
and Whyte had been on an 11 fight winning streak since suffering his only previous
career loss against Anthony Joshua. But that loss against AJ happened way back in 2015.
So when Povetkin scored that dramatic KO victory, that really put the pressure on Whyte. His entire
career path was in jeopardy. Could he bounce back after suffering such a devastating knockout?
Well now we have our answer. Last Saturday night, in a bout that was televised on the
still relatively new streaming app service known as DAZN, Alexander Povetkin squared off against
Dillian Whyte in a highly anticipated heavyweight rematch. Whyte seized command early and never
looked back. Whyte had Povetkin stumbling around early in the opening round, although it did not
appear that anything big landed. Whyte was much sharper and Sasha appeared slow and inaccurate.
The Body Snatcher was very patient and methodical with his approach
as he worked behind a deliberate jab. Whyte was in complete control of the action. He was utilizing
a snappy jab and sneaking in some good right hands. Povetkin simply had no bounce in his step.
His feints and lunges were too slow, providing Whyte with ample time to react before Povetkin
was able to get set. Dillian Whyte was in cruise control and the pace was much to his liking.
Early in round 4 Whyte landed a right that buzzed Povetkin. Whyte landed another nice right later in
the round, and shortly after that Whyte had him in trouble and Povetkin was down. He beat the count,
but he was very wobbly and the referee stopped the fight just as Povetkin’s corner
threw in the towel. The fight was over. So Dillian Whyte avenged a devastating knockout
loss with a stoppage victory of his own in an immediate rematch. This type of thing is
not all too common. A somewhat recent and famous example of such would include Lennox Lewis and
Hasim Rahman. After Rahman shocked the world when he scored a 5th round knockout against Lennox,
Lewis regained the heavyweight championship 7 months later when he scored a beautiful 4th round
knockout in their immediate rematch. And if we go back further in time, after Ingemar Johnasson
stopped Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight world championship, Patterson avenged that loss
and regained the crown when he landed a picture perfect left hook to stop Ingo in their immediate
rematch. And then you have the situation with Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, but that one wasn’t an
immediate rematch like these other examples. Of course, those examples were all for the
heavyweight world championship, whereas the situation here between Whyte and Povetkin
was between top 10 contenders. But still, Whyte wasn’t merely stopped in their first encounter.
He was OUT. So Whyte deserves full credit for coming in prepared and mentally focused where
he took care of business and avenged the loss. A lot of fans are claiming that something was wrong
with Povetkin, and that he was still suffering the effects after being hospitalized because of
COVID-19. There might be some truth to that, but for me it doesn’t detract from the fact that Whyte
came in prepared and executed effectively to win the rematch. Whyte did what he needed to do.
Right now Dillian Whyte has one of the better resumes in the heavyweight division. He has only
lost twice, losing by stoppage against Anthony Joshua back in 2015 and losing to Povetkin last
August. He avenged the loss against Povetkin, and he also holds a number of quality victories, the
most significant of those coming against former WBO champion Joseph Parker. And then he also holds
a couple of solid wins against Dereck Chisora, and a win against the then undefeated Oscar Rivas,
and also good wins against Robert Helenius and Mariusz Wach. It’s not the best resume in today’s
heavyweight landscape, but it’s definitely one of the better ones. In my opinion, Whyte
deservedly belongs in the top 5 or 6 currently competing in the heavyweight division.
With the prospects of an upcoming two fight series between unified IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight
champion Anthony Joshua and the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury,
it is difficult to predict where Whyte figures into the bigger title picture. But if he keeps
winning then he will be in line for a title shot sooner or later. And with a potential mega bout
between Fury and Joshua looming large, there are some big name heavyweights out
there that can potentially make for some great match-ups with The Body Snatcher while we wait
for the dust to settle between Fury and Joshua - assuming that actually does come together.
Depending on how the chips fall, there are some damn interesting match-ups out there for Whyte as
he bides his time and awaits his big opportunity. Hopefully he continues facing top competition,
and doesn’t do what David Tua did back when he sat on his mandatory status while facing soft
opposition as he waited for the dust to settle between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. But
whatever happens, I’ll be tuning in whoever Whyte faces next, and he has now solidified his position
as a genuine top contender for the heavyweight throne. Dillian Whyte is back in business.
Thanks for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night.
This is Rummy’s Corner.