The best punch trackers on the market
20th August 2020
By: Max Taylor
Dillian Whyte once again puts it all on the line against Alexander Povetkin in the finale to Matchroom’s Fight Camp series. Both men fight for a position to challenge the WBC champion and winner of the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder trilogy. The narrative has been pushed that Whyte will face Fury early next year but if he cannot overcome this obstacle wedged into the top of the WBC’s rankings then we might well see Povetkin take the role of the challenger for the third time in his career. Remember this is heavyweight boxing where one punch can turn the unlikely into a reality.
It would seem as though the Russian Vityaz’s glory days are behind him. He has enjoyed a stellar career as the WBA champion for two years whose only losses came when challenging for the unified belts. His last unsuccessful venture was two years ago now, but retirement hasn’t been an option yet. Povetkin will have to wind back the clock in terms of ability whilst using his 15 years of professional experience if he wants to beat Whyte and earn the mandatory spot. His performance will be telling if he can still thrive at the top of the heap against younger and fresher heavyweights.
Unlike his opponent, Whyte has never fought for a world title despite his one loss being to a man who now owns multiple. Winning on Saturday would change this fact though and the number one contender who has held this status for over 1000 days will no longer be ignored. The Bodysnatcher has been on a tear for the past three years beating the contenders in the division which include former champions such as Joseph Parker and Lucas Browne. He has constructed one of the best current resumes in his weight class with wins against credible names and will have to maintain this form if he wants to retain the interim belt.
BOOK WHYTE VS POVETKIN ON DAZN!
The man who has handed losses to both guys in knockout fashion is none other than unified champion Anthony Joshua. Going into both fights, each man posed problems and had AJ’s fans worried. A concern grew around Joshua’s success when he fought Whyte in 2015 as the latter prevailed when the pair met in the amateurs, while for Povetkin, media and boxing experts believed him to be the hardest test for the British Olympian since his war against Wladimir Klitschko.
Although both lost, they had the established heavyweight momentarily rocked in their respective fights however their outcomes were a meeting with the canvas. The two-time world champion Joshua weighed in ahead of the clash this weekend and believes this fight to be a ‘banana peel’ for Whyte and his mandatory position. Povetkin may still possess one-punch power and could use it to snatch the Bodysnatcher’s first-ever world title attempt.
On reviewing the tale of the tape, the Jamaican-born is the taller man with the longer reach and can use his jab to keep his adversary at bay before putting his punches together, particularly his missile-like right hand and devastating left hook. Povetkin has a conscious-threatening left hand of his own but he will have to apply pressure and close the distance if he wants to use it successfully.
This will cause for a slugfest to ensue, which is Whyte’s guilty pleasure. Although it seems like knuckleheaded pugilism, the 32-year-old is actually adept in this department and is known to nail opponents with his short lead hook, a shot Dereck Chisora is familiar if it didn’t knock the memory out of him.
The Brixton-bred boxer’s arsenal contains lethal body shots which was demonstrated in his US debut against Malcolm Tann. Using these on Saturday will be a good idea for Whyte as those organ-rearranging shots could whip the air out of a 40-year-old Povetkin.
Despite the confidence in his punching ability at any range, the WBC’s number one contender will have to box with discipline and not jump at the chance of trading for the entire fight. This is because that strategy has almost come back to bite him previously. This was exhibited as he ran into late trouble against Parker, being dropped and merely surviving the final round. Whyte cannot show such vulnerability to a combination puncher like Povetkin who is a master at closing the show. He could get away with it in the later rounds though depending on the Russians level of endurance.
Whyte is tipped to be the favorite heading into this mandatory decider, and rightly so. After Povetkin’s most recent performance being underwhelming thus being awarded the first draw of his career, questions are beginning to circulate regarding if he is the same power puncher that almost decapitated David Price a couple of years ago. Due to his winning streak against the division’s elite, the bookies favor the Brit to emerge victorious on the weekend.
The apparently ageless ‘White Lion’ seems to be at his best in the first half of a 12-rounder, something he proved to the fans in the fight against Joshua. Despite his recent struggle with conditioning against Mariusz Wach (who Povetkin disposed of half a decade ago), The Ring’s third-ranked best heavyweight can usually keep an impressive pace till the end. Three of his last four bouts have gone the distance, with the one not fitting the trend being the KO of Chisora in the penultimate, 11th round during their rematch.
Looking through this perspective it tells me that Whyte will hold his own and survive the persistent pressure his opponent will be applying early on to then step up a gear and overwhelm Povetkin with brutality in the later stages to come away with a knockout victory in one of the final three rounds.
READ – THE BEST PUNCH TRACKERS ON THE MARKET
Headline – Whyte vs Povetkin
Date – 22nd August 2020
Broadcaster – Sky Sports Box Office & DAZN
Promoter – Matchroom Boxing
Venue – Eddie Hearn’s Back Yard, Brentwood, Essex
