In the past few days the news broke that Povetkin was hospitalised after contracting the virus meaning Whyte will be without an opponent for the upcoming Matchroom card on the 21st November. 

Povetkin, 41, produced a stunning knockout win over the then WBC mandatory heavyweight in August and the pair were due to fight again later this month.

With the fight now postponed it opens the debate of what is next for each fighter? Will they meet again early next year or will the November card scheduled in the next few weeks carry on with Whyte facing another opponent.

The first fight started toe to toe in the early rounds with each fighter landing a variety of punches. Whyte found some success ripping in to the body and Povetkin looked sharp from distance using his jab correctly. The Brixton born fighter showed great discipline in his boxing and wasted nothing when he head-to-head with the 6′ 2″ Russian.

Whyte dropped Povetkin early in the 4th round with a snappy left hook that caught him totally by surprise and started the referees count. That wasn’t all he had to offer in the round as he delivered a clever uppercut to Povetkin’s chin and dropped him again just before the bell.

That's the cruel reality of the heavyweight division. Whyte’s excellent work in the early rounds of the fight was to be erased as Povetkin delivered a stunning left uppercut to knock Whyte out in horrific fashion in the 5th. It was one of the biggest shocks so far of the year considering the controlled manner Dillian was taking during the fight.

Heavyweight boxing can be turned on its head with just one punch and one minor slip-up.

Will Povetkin pulling out be a blessing in disguise for Whyte? He really can't afford another loss if he wants to keep on chasing that first world title fight he has spent the last few years trying to secure.

In the light of the news that Povetkin couldn’t compete, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn took to twitter to announce the news and followed up with the excting prospect of a potential fight for Whyte.

 

 

What an unbelievable scrap that would be, the unique character that is Tyson Fury taking on the ferocious ‘Body Snatcher’ in one of the most exciting matchups for British boxing in recent memory.

Would Fury’s unmatchable slippery ability be too much for Dillian or will he close the gap and bring the fight to the WBC heavyweight champion?

However, recent talk suggests Derek Chisora would step in just two weeks after his points loss to Oleksander Usyk.

Should Chisora take the fight, it would be one of the fastest pay-per-view turanounds ever. David Haye took to his Instagram live to tell the world that 'Dell Boy' will be ready to slug it out and lay it all on the line and it is that kind of heart and character that makes us all appreciate the warrior that is Derek 'War' Chisora. 

Finally, the last possible matchup would be against formerly dethroned champ Deontay Wilder in a fight that Dillian has been chasing for a while now. Before the Povetkin fight, Whyte spent over two years as mandatory for the WBC crown when Wilder was champion but was never granted his wish by promoter Hearn. He may feel the treatment of Usyk potentially getting a title shot just two fights into the heavyweight division as unfair, whoever he fights from now on will be for sure a statement piece to get what he wants.

At VAVEL Boxing we wish Alexander a speedy recovery and hope to see him fit and fighting in the near future.