Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte 2 postponed indefinitely

Those of you who labeled Matchroom’s January 30th date for Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte 2 as overly optimistic were correct. “Sasha’s” promoter, Andrey Ryabinsky, tells TASS that they will pursue a new date as Povetkin continues to deal with the aftermath of COVID.

“We have underestimated the consequences of the virus and everything did not go as smoothly as we hoped for. Alexander has been hospitalized again for a medical examination. He has been discharged from the hospital in the recent days and starts with his training sessions. We will be amplifying his training sessions stage by stage under a strict observance of doctors. The sport of boxing is a very serious burden inflicted on a human body and I am totally against risking Sasha’s health”

Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KO) withdrew from a planned November 21st date after being hospitalized earlier that month. He was released a week later and planned to start training in the next “two to three weeks,” but that no longer seems to be the case.

We’ve seen COVID cause long-term damage in a number of cases, and considering how taxing boxing is on the respiratory system, Ryabinski’s caution looks well-founded. Here’s hoping Povetkin gets out of this without permanent injury.