Eddie Hearn has registered his disbelief at witnessing one of his top UK heavyweights get demolished, literally in his own backyard.
Hearn, like many UK fans who paid £19.95 to watch on Sky Box Office, also watched on helplessly as Whyte’s world title dream was ended in a flash.
Dangerous veteran puncher Alexander Povetkin slammed an almighty uppercut onto Whyte’s chin, and that was all she wrote.
Eddie Hearn
It’s the second time in just over a year that one of Hearn’s top division stars was halted badly. The other, Anthony Joshua, was also present to see his old rival’s demise.
Whyte had Povetkin in the palm of his hand with two knockdowns in the previous round. But as Hearn stated post-fight, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
“I felt like I was in some dream. The fight was over, virtually,” pointed out Hearn. “Povetkin started well, Dillian Whyte was measuring up and had an excellent finish to the third round.
“Then he has two heavy knockdowns in the fourth round. I know I felt, and many people felt, that it was over.
“But this is the drama of the sport that we love. This is the drama of heavyweight boxing. We know that one punch can change everything. And tonight, one punch just completely changed the fight.”
Dillian Whyte KO
He continued: “Dillian Whyte was in total control of the fight. I really felt confident that he was about to end the fight. Was he complacent? Was it just great work from Alexander Povetkin?
“There’s that uppercut that some believe Whyte is susceptible to, and Povetkin slipped right under and delivered it. Unbelievable. It is a shock.
“We knew how good Povetkin was, and we knew how dangerous he was. Dillan Whyte had that fight virtually in the bag, but we know how dangerous these elite Heavyweights can be.
“It was just a thrilling knockout on a thrilling night. I’m pretty much lost for words.”
A rematch is already being planned between Povetkin and Whyte before the end of the year.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
