Boxing: Alexander Povetkin knocks out Dillian Whyte halts world title chase

Dillian Whyte suffered a shock Round 5 knock out by Alexander Povetkin, with the Russian viciously halting his world title ambitions on Saturday.

Whyte had completely controlled the fight, flooring Povetkin twice, but a left uppercut from the Russian in the fifth round ended his hopes in a flash.

The British boxer would have fought Tyson Fury mandatorily for the WBC heavyweight championship, which was finally enforced after a 1000-day wait if he had beaten Povetkin at Fight Camp but became the victim of a stunning come-from-behind victory.

This outcome may now clear the path for Fury and Anthony Joshua to decide the undisputed heavyweight title – they had already agreed on financial terms to two meetings in 2021.

Whyte’s long wait for a first-ever world title shot will have to agonizingly stretch on after a surprising result that came when he appeared on the verge of a 12th consecutive win.

He had started carefully behind his jab, perhaps wary of how quickly Povetkin began his fight against Joshua, before sinking in body shots in the second round.

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Povetkin was rocked by a left-right combo from Whyte confirming his cornermen’s worries after the second round and by the third, the Brit was comprehensively out-boxing him. Whyte’s jab was accurate but his body punching was keeping Povetkin at bay.

Whyte, however, completely took over in the fourth round, twice knocking Povetkin down. The first came from a left hook to the temple, the second with a crunching left uppercut.

But the fight ended suddenly in the fifth. Povetkin was a 2004 Olympic gold medallist before Whyte had started with the sport and maybe the experience showed as Povetkin crashed home a vicious uppercut to knock out Whyte who fell flat on his back with the referee instantly calling the fight.

Povetkin took home the WBC interim title, and its Diamond belt, and could have a shot at Fury’s world championship in the future as we await Whyte invoking a rematch clause.