IT’S fair to say Dillian Whyte’s career took a step back on Saturday night (August 22), thanks in large part to the almighty uppercut Russia’s Alexander Povetkin landed on his chin in Brentwood.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it is over, nor that he is all of a sudden out of the race as a future WBC heavyweight title challenger. He has, after all, a rematch clause he intends to trigger later this year and also maintains a high ranking with the WBC, meaning he is perhaps still just a fight or two away from landing a shot against Tyson Fury, that organisation’s champion.
Be that as it may, the wolves are certainly out for ‘The Villain’ and Frank Warren, promoter of both Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce, suggests the Londoner’s career path will now inevitably have to change as a result of what Povetkin did to him just days ago.
“What I saw on Saturday is exactly how I would expect it to end with Daniel (Dubois),” Warren told BT Sport. “That’s why I wanted the fight. If I thought he was going to get beat, I wouldn’t have been screaming for the fight, would I? I fancied him to beat him.
“According to what’s being said, he’s (Whyte) got this rematch (with Povetkin) so let’s get this rematch out of the way and let’s hope he comes through and beats Povetkin. Then he’s got to wait. Instead of sitting on his backside for a year, make the fight with the winner of Daniel and Joe (Joyce) on October 24.”
Warren clearly doesn’t have much faith in Whyte a) beating Povetkin in a return and b) securing the fight he has been chasing for some time – a world title challenge – beyond that. Whyte, on the other hand, remains determined to continue on his path, considering the Povetkin defeat a minor blip, and had this to say in response to Warren’s suggestion of a Plan B: “F*****g fish eyes snake.”
Seems clear enough.
