Dillian Whyte reignites his rivalry with Alexander Povetkin in their heavyweight rematch as the British contender attempts to avenge his stunning knockout defeat on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Dillian Whyte stared down Alexander Povetkin and then insisted that the Russian “knows” he is facing a more formidable opponent in their rematch.
Britain’s heavyweight contender shared an icy face-off with Povetkin after the final press conference for their second showdown on Saturday in Gibraltar, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Whyte suffered a shock knockout to Povetkin last summer, but he says that Russia’s former WBA champion is expecting a more punishing encounter.
“He’s quite relaxed, trying not to show a lot of emotions but I can see,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “We’re fighters, we know. We’ve shared the ring before.
“He knows. He says that he knows that I’m going to be much better this time around. We’ll see.
“I’ve been fighting top guys for the last six years. It’s like a game of dice. You roll the dice, you don’t know what number it’s going to land on.
“If you fight good guys, back-to-back, you will get knocked down, you will lose. It’s just what it is.
“The main thing is I’ll bounce back. I don’t let these things bother me, or trouble me too much. I’ve always been a warrior.”
The Brixton man’s first professional loss to Anthony Joshua led to the most successful period of his career and he has been plotting a number of methods to gain revenge on Povetkin.
“I’ve got about six different ways of fighting. It just depends on which one I choose on the night. I can fight at range, I can be violent, I can be aggressive, I can press these guys, or I can try and bully these guys. Whatever it takes.
“Sometimes a defeat can either make you or break you. Last time I lost, it was six years before anyone beat me.”
Povetkin has played down the significance of his dramatic victory, having climbed off the canvas to deliver a fight-ending uppercut on Whyte.
“I said forget this fight,” said Povetkin. “The opponent can prepare better.
“You don’t know what to expect, so that’s why you don’t need to take in mind that I knocked him out in the first fight. You have to prove it every time. It doesn’t matter how many fights you have.”
