Dillian Whyte has vowed to punish Alexander Povetkin when the pair finally meet in their crunch Heavyweight rematch on March 6th.
Whyte and Povetkin clash just over six months after the Russian climbed off of the canvas twice to knock the Brit out cold, with a devastating uppercut at Fight Camp in August.
A scheduled rematch on November 21 was postponed after ‘Sasha’ tested positive for Coronavirus, whilst a mooted date in January was shelved with Povetkin needing more time to recover and ‘The Body Snatcher’ is determined to capitalise on his second opportunity.
“I just want to get in there and smash his face in, to be honest,” Whyte told Sky Sports.
“Just get in there, have a fight, let’s go toe to toe and let’s have it.
“I’m just glad that there is nowhere for him to try and hide behind and try and run. He wasted time, letting me get ready for two fights, and then cancelled them at the last minute. I’m glad.
“He pretends to be this nice, humble guy, but he is talking s**t.
“Of course I’m going to be annoyed. I’m not going to be sat there and laughing.
“I had a great camp. I’m going to be p***ed off and annoyed.”
Whyte questioned whether Povetkin had actually contracted Covid-19, claiming that the former Heavyweight world champion needed more time to prepare after a hard-fought clash.
The 41-year-old denied his rival’s assertions, insisting his team have the relevant documents to hand and believes the postponement was beneficial for Whyte.
“This is his guess. It’s better for him [that our fight was pushed back]… After such a serious knockout, he has more time to rest,” Povektin told Vasily Konov.
“I have all the documents, how can this be fiction? Yes, he talks a lot, but we signed a rematch contract. And I want to meet with him again.”
Whyte, 32, who lost his WBC interim Heavyweight title and mandatory position to WBC champion, Tyson Fury after a period of 1000 days as number one contender, has hit back at those suggestions and has promised a “spiteful” display.
“Povetkin was getting beat up, he got damaged in the fight, and I don’t need no time to recover,” Whyte added.
“I was ready to go. How is the delay going to benefit me?
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“I’ve always got a spiteful, nasty streak, but if someone is being respectful it’s difficult to be a certain way.
“Now he’s showing his true colours and he will pay for it. I am going to hurt him.”
Victory for Whyte would place him back in contention for a world Heavyweight title shot, although an immediate opportunity appears unlikely with Fury and unified WBA ‘Super’, IBF, WBO and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua in ongoing talks over a spring showdown.
Former WBC titlist, Deontay Wilder, who is awaiting news on a potential trilogy with Fury, could be another option and the Brixton man has already cited the American as one of his primary targets.
“I would love to smash Deontay Wilder’s face in,” Whyte told Sky Sports.
“It’s one of those fights where I would be very charged up. I would go out in the first round and just get going after him.
“It is frustrating, but it’s still a big name. He’s one of the top guys and I would love to fight him.”
Whyte’s promoter Eddie Hearn said on the weekend that his rematch with Povetkin could be staged abroad with options in Gibraltar, Monaco and the Middle East all being explored, with the Brit eager to fight in front of a crowd.
Matchroom’s remaining four shows, which were announced on Friday and begin with Josh Warrington’s clash with Mauricio Lara on February 13, will all take place at one venue to be announced in due course.
