To nobody’s real surprise, the return fight between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte will not be taking place on January 30 as scheduled. Povetkin is still struggling to regain his full strength after having tested positive for the coronavirus. In fact, the 41 year old was hospitalized a second time.
The Russian’s team say they will not risk Povetkin’s health and that the fight will now likely go ahead in either late winter of next year or maybe as late as the spring of 2021. This will not be anything Whyte will want to hear, the British contender having previously stated his belief that Povetkin didn’t really test positive for Covid, that his rival – who of course knocked him out in sensational style in the fifth round back on August 22 – simply wanted more time in which to get ready for the return fight.
Now that talk sounds even more foolish than when “The Bodysnatcher” came out with it. Povetkin has not yet been able to start proper training for the rematch, therefore there is no way he can possibly be ready for January. Povetkin is not faking things, as his team are adamant they can prove.
So what will Whyte do? Will he wait around, perhaps until the spring, or might Whyte look to take another fight, so as to keep busy? It is a frustrating time for Whyte, no doubt. He craves the revenge he is certain he will get, yet the fight could now be a good number of months away.
In other heavyweight news, warrior Dereck Chisora is far from finished, this despite the fact that he lost for the tenth time when he was decisioned by Oleksandr Usyk a few weeks back. Manager David Haye tells Sky Sports his fighter wants no less than four fights next year. Haye says a possible foe is Joe Joyce. If Joyce cannot get a shot at the WBO heavyweight title – in a fight with Usyk, this if Anthony Joshua opts to vacate the belt – Haye says why not fight his guy Chisora?
Haye says he feels Joyce and his team would very much be interested in this fight. Joyce is riding high as a result of his upset win over Daniel Dubois and “The Juggernaut” wants the opportunity to roll right over Usyk. But if he cannot get that fight, throwback warrior Chisora is ready and willing to rumble with him.
As Haye says, these are exciting times for the heavyweights. But can Chisora possibly fight four times in 2021? That’s some punishing schedule, especially for a slugger who has already had so many tough fights. Still, how can you not admire Chisora and his desire for warfare!
How many more lives has this dude got?