Dillian Whyte was out for revenge when he stepped in the ring for a rematch against Alexander Povetkin and he got what he came for.
Povetkin got up from the canvas twice in their fight last August before landing a devastating fifth-round KO but Whyte wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again in Gibraltar.
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The 193cm boxing behemoth was in a furious mood from the moment the opening bell sounded and never relented as he claimed victory via a fourth-round KO that left the Russian seeing stars.
With his win comes the WBC interim heavyweight title and just as importantly, a repaired reputation after Whyte’s ego — as well as his body — copped a battering in the pair’s meeting last year.
“He’s a tough guy and I had to be careful,” Whyte said. “But I could have finished it early.
“I’m ready to run it back again. I shouldn’t have lost the first time.
“From the first round, I was on to him.
“I still believe I can be a world champion and I can beat anyone.”
Whyte started by landing a solid body shot that sent Povetkin staggering backwards. He dominated the early stages, a blow to his opponent’s head causing damage to the left eye and cheek, which showed worrying signs of swelling.
Whyte landed some powerful right hands in the third round to go with a straight left that hit Povetkin right on the nose, as the 41-year-old veteran kept eating punches.
Whyte went for broke in the fourth round as both men traded big, brutal bombs. Povetkin was up against the ropes but he didn’t back down, giving as good as he got and swinging even harder than his rival — but without the same success.
With 30 seconds left in the round, Whyte clobbered Povetkin with a series of hooks that made him wobble. He hit the ropes and wished he would have stayed there, because when he stumbled his way back into the centre of the ring he copped a left hand from hell that ended the fight.
Povetkin rolled backwards once more and lost his feet — only this time, he wouldn’t find them again.
The Russian brawler tried to get back up as the referee started the count but after a few seconds it was clear he had no hope of continuing.
Just as the official waved the fight off, Povetkin’s camp threw in the towel, knowing full well he had to be protected from himself if he attempted to keep going.
Whyte showed plenty of respect for his foe after squaring the ledger, grabbing a stool and bringing it over to Povetkin’s corner so he could compose himself after weathering a terrifying beating.
Whyte will now be eyeiing off a fight against the winner of a future bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, with the undisputed heavyweight title on the line.