Andrey Ryabinskiy has been a key player in the resurgance of Alexander Povetkin as the Russian hammered his way to the brink of a heavyweight title shot.
Povetkin blasted Dillian Whyte to claim the interim World Boxing Council championship after being down twice in the fight last month.
The uppercut punch, which laid Whyte out cold, was the catalyst for a second fight due to a rematch clause in the contract.
To secure a fight with the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III, Povetkin must now repeat the job on November 21.
Asked whether he believed Whyte was too confident going into the fight with Povetkin, for calling for the Fury fight many times, Ryabinskiy was keen to avoid hitting a man while he was down.
“I wouldn’t say so. Whyte has his ambitions to become a champion,” Ryabinskiy exclusively told World Boxing News. “He believed in himself and continues to believe.
“I am sure that he prepared for the first fight with all the possible care, which already shows respect. It means that he highly appreciates the opponent.
“Although, perhaps, in the course of the fight, especially after the fourth round, he lost a little concentration. He believed in his victory too early.”
On his relationship with Eddie Hearn and how discussions went for the second bout, Ryabinskiy added: “We have a long and successful history of cooperation.
“We are both professionals, so when our goals coincide, we always easily find an agreement.
“The rematch was agreed upon initially, before the first fight, so our negotiations went on as usual. There is a common goal.
“There are interests of our boxers, we agreed on them and set a date for the rematch.”
POVETKIN in the UK
Asked about Alexander Povetkin again fighting in England and whether he was happy to do so, Ryabinskiy concluded: “Alexander doesn’t care where he performs.
“He said he liked the English boxing fans and the reception he got in the UK. As for me, Great Britain is a good option for this fight.”
All parties should reveal the official venue for Povetkin vs. Whyte II in the coming days.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
