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It’s always said that in heavyweight boxing, one shot can change everything. Most times that one shot doesn’t come, really. Today, it did.
Alexander Povetkin upset Dillian Whyte with a monstrous uppercut early in the fifth round, putting Whyte (27-2, 18 KO) out before he ever even hit the canvas, and taking Whyte’s shot at the WBC heavyweight title from him in sudden, thunderous fashion.
Here’s the knockout, courtesy DAZN:
HOLY SHIT POVETKIN JUST DID THAT pic.twitter.com/cauFrB0nbL
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) August 22, 2020
The 40-year-old Povetkin — he actually turns 41 on Sept. 2 — had been dropped twice in the fourth round himself, once on a left hook and again on a left uppercut, but he found a big opening on Whyte and finished things off just 30 seconds into the fifth round.
As for what’s next, it seems likely it will be a rematch. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed post-fight that Whyte, 32, has a rematch clause, and that they plan to exercise that and put on Povetkin-Whyte 2 by the end of 2020. Povetkin does have the interim WBC heavyweight title now, but only Whyte was guaranteed a next shot at the WBC belt held by Tyson Fury coming into this bout, not Povetkin.