Brixton heavyweight Dillian Whyte: A knockout defeat is not going to mentally scar me – I’ve survived assassination attempts
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk
Dillian Whyte is adamant that his previous knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin has not left any mental scars ahead of their rematch in Gibraltar on Saturday night.
The South Londoner is aiming to regain the WBC Interim world title at the Europa Point Sports Complex.
Whyte seemed to be cruising towards victory when the pair first met in August, flooring the Russian twice, but was poleaxed by a huge left uppercut in the fifth round.
The Brixton puncher, 32, saw his record drop to 27-2 as his 11-bout unbeaten streak was dramatically and emphatically ended by Povetkin (36-2-1), who previously held the WBA world title.
Whyte claims he was stabbed three times while growing up in the capital and once removed a bullet from his leg.
“What I’ve been through in life, a knockout in a sport that has changed my life, and is making a future for me and my family, is nothing,” said Whyte.
“I’ve had assassination attempts on my life and sufferings as a child. It [Povetkin] was an off night. I’ve had two losses in 29 fights – I shouldn’t even be where I am because I’ve not had any proper amateur grounding.
“I’ve come up swimming against the waves. So we adjust and we go again. I should be back right where I was – number three heavyweight in the world [if he wins his return with Povetkin].”
Whyte changed his training set-up prior to his last fight, splitting from Mark Tibbs in July. Xavier Miller stepped up but Whyte has also added Harold Knight in the lead-up to his next ring outing, the American was previously part of ring great Lennox Lewis’ corner team.
Whyte riles at the suggestion he got his tactics wrong against Povetkin.
“A lot of people talk s***,” he said. “I’m fighting, it’s a fight. You’re fighting a top operator. We’re about to trade up.
“Look at when I got knocked out. I was about to knock him out. I came around the side and he came up the middle. It’s a split second to make a judgement. If his punch never lands then my punch would have knocked him out. I’m about to land my right hand and left hook. He threw the right hand – and missed – but then came up the middle.
“This is heavyweight boxing. When you do good everyone goes ‘yeah – isn’t he great?’ but when you do badly the world and his dog come out to talk s***.”
It’s not particularly clear what would come next for Whyte if he does get his hand raised on Saturday night. Domestic rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have signed up for at least two money-spinning clashes.
Whyte had been the long-standing mandatory challenger to Deontay Wilder when the KO specialist was WBC world champion.
He said: “I just want to fight, that’s always been my thing. I want to fight the best and see how good I am – see how far I can go.
“People can laugh at me and say: ‘You got stopped’. Who cares? I’m doing something. I’m not in my mother’s house, sleeping on her couch or going there at the age of 32 and scrimmaging from her fridge. I’m trying to do something and chase goals. These people who talk crap are just bums in their mother’s house.
“The interim belt is just like the WBC world title – it is the equivalent of what David Haye won at heavyweight. It is the trinket that holds your place in the rankings.
“We all know boxing is a strange sport. You can be the mandatory number one, pay all your sanctioning fees and still not get your title shot because if you’re dangerous, then you’re dangerous – guys will avoid you.
“I’m the kind of guy who can throw a spanner in the works for these big fights because I can knock someone out.
“If the fans want to see it [facing Wilder] and it makes sense, then I’m all about that.
“How many times have I wanted to fight Deontay Wilder? When these guys lose they all want to fight me. [Joseph] Parker was the same.
“It’s all about winning for me, in whatever I do. That gives me motivation to win, win, win – and get revenge.”
PHOTOS: PA AND KEITH GILLARD
