The transfer of the fight to Gibraltar, the prospect of a meeting with Fury and a possible retirement from the sport: what surrounds Povetkin's revenge with White

Why is Povetkin forced to fight White again?

The return match between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian White promises to be one of the most striking events in the world of boxing in the first half of 2021.

The first fight between the boxers attracted huge attention from the fans and was widely discussed after it ended.

The reason is in the luxurious blow of the Russian, which helped him not only to get into the highlights, but also to receive the "Knockout of the Year" award and the interim WBC title.

However, the main thing is that, along with the champion title, Povetkin earned the status of a temporary contender for the Fury belt.

In theory, this allowed the Russian to compete for the WBC title for the third time, but in fact he did not manage to take advantage of his chance.

White activated the rematch clause in the contract, which gave Tyson the opportunity to focus on organizing a superfight with Anthony Joshua.

Thus, Alexander found himself in a situation where he needed to prove that the previous triumph in the battle with Dillian was not an accident.

What will Povetkin get if he succeeds?

At first glance, it may seem that the opportunity to earn extra money before leaving the sport soon is the only motivation for Povetkin in a second duel with White.

According to SPORTEKZ, Alexander received about $ 4.5 million for the first fight, and the return fee will be much higher.

In any case, this is what Andrei Ryabinsky, the head of the World of Boxing promotion company, said, according to whom the amount is estimated at “millions of dollars”.

As for the fight for the title, there are also small pluses for Povetkin.

Another success will confirm him as interim champion and leave him with the title of mandatory challenger.

According to the rules of the World Boxing Council, the current belt holder is obliged to carry out at least one defense during the calendar year, unless the organization itself makes an exception for him.

Yes, given the planned battle with Joshua, the WBC can go to meet Fury and postpone the battle with Alexander, but sooner or later Tyson will have to fight him.

Otherwise, the trophy will be declared vacant, and the Russian will get a chance to compete for it.

Why will White be extremely motivated ahead of the fight?

It's worth noting that Dillian can tell Alexander enough about the value of being the first challenger.

At the time of their first fight, he was in this status for more than 1000 days, but he never fought for the title - both the organization of two battles in a row between Fury and Deontay Wilder, as well as suspicions of doping, interfered.

The test after the fight with Oscar Rivas was positive, but the B test confirmed the athlete's innocence.

It is possible that it was precisely the victory over Povetkin that would have allowed White to finally fight for the trophy.

Had he won in August, his promoter Eddie Hearn would have had enough time to get his client into a fight with the champion.

Negotiations between Fury and Joshua are sluggish, and the fight has not yet been announced.

However, the plan failed: Dillian relented and was forced to focus on Alexander again.

Therefore, the defeat by the Russian can be safely called the most discouraging in the British career.

Now there is no doubt about White's mood.

His promoter is sure that in a rematch with Povetkin's fight, his client has no right to make a mistake, while noting positive changes in his mood.

According to Hearn, Dillian began to resemble more of his former self, which made him more aggressive and dangerous.

At the same time, the boxer himself also understands that another failure can put an end to his champion ambitions and exclude him from the list of trophy seekers.

In what state is Povetkin approaching the fight?

One of the main intrigues is whether Povetkin was able to completely recover from the coronavirus and regain his former shape.

As far as we know, many athletes are very difficult to tolerate this disease and Alexander was no exception.

According to his own confessions, during the week he had a high temperature (38.5 ° C), and the improvement was outlined only under the supervision of doctors.

As many athletes admitted, after the coronavirus, they experienced serious problems with endurance, and it was in this aspect that Povetkin was not very strong lately.

And given his age, it doesn't seem surprising.

However, in a duel with White, he may need to spend six or more rounds, which can be a serious test for him.

At the same time, the Russian himself said that he felt great, and the coronavirus did not affect his athletic performance.

“I don’t pay attention to the fact that I have had a coronavirus.

I'm training, I'm glad that the fight will take place soon.

I feel fine, there is no effect from the coronavirus ... I don't know how serious it was.

There doctors treated.

They found out that I had a coronavirus, put me in the hospital and treated me, ”Povetkin said in an interview with FightHype.

Why doesn't White believe in Povetkin's disease?

It is worth recalling that it was because of Povetkin's illness that their duel with White was postponed from November 2020 to March 2021.

However, the Briton did not believe that the Russian had actually survived the coronavirus.

In one of the interviews, he expressed the opinion that his opponent only wanted to extend the training camp and better prepare for the rematch.

It is not surprising that Dillian received a very harsh response from Ryabinsky to such statements.

“Dillian White is repeating herself, so I can only repeat that we have all the supporting documents.

And to simulate such a disease is beyond the bounds.

White would like to advise him to take care of himself, in particular, his preparation, and not engage in unfounded and unconfirmed accusations ... As I understand, that deep knockout did not go unnoticed, the feeling of fear stuck in him for a long time, "RIA Novosti quotes the promoter.

It is possible that in this way White is trying to bring Povetkin out of the state of mental equilibrium.

He clearly fears a formidable opponent and is ready to use any methods to gain an advantage.

However, this is unlikely to affect Alexander.

The Russian has repeatedly argued that he does not pay attention to such things and that something is unlikely to change in the future.

Why will the fight take place in Gibraltar?

Initially, the battle between Povetkin and White was supposed to take place on March 6 in the UK, while the exact location was not named.

However, the decision of the state government to introduce new quarantine measures deprived the boxer of the advantages of his native walls.

In mid-February, the UK included a number of countries in the "red list", as a result of which citizens arriving from the country were required to undergo a 10-day quarantine at the hotel.

Portugal, in which Dillian spent the training camps, also got into it.

Moving to Spain did not play a role, in connection with which it was decided to postpone the battle at the end of the month and move it to Gibraltar.

For both athletes, this will be the first experience in this country.

The venue will be the Europa Point Sports Complex rugby stadium with a capacity of five thousand people.

At the same time, the arena is located on the southern summit of the Rock of Gibraltar, in connection with which the future duel has already received the sonorous name "Rumble on the rock".

Should Povetkin end his career after the fight with White?

Despite the fact that the Russian is still in excellent shape and competes on equal terms with the strongest heavyweight boxers, the fight with White could be the last in Povetkin's career.

At least that's what his promoter Ryabinsky thinks, who expressed his desire to persuade the client to hang the gloves on a nail.

“We are adults, we understand that Sasha is an older athlete.

I want him to make money, and this revenge is a well-paid thing.

I want him to leave with the money, so that everything is fine with him.

We have more than just boxing relationships.

He's my friend, I don't want to endanger him.

I want him to fight a few fights and tie.

I will persuade him to end his career.

It is not a fact that I will succeed, but I will definitely do it, "Ryabinsky told Sport-Express.

However, the promoter is unlikely to be able to carry out his plans in the near future.

At the moment, Povetkin is going through almost the best stage of his career, and another victory will bring him as close as possible to his goal - the title of world champion.

Leaving after the success in the rematch with White would be an extremely illogical decision.

As for the defeat, given Alexander's fighting spirit, ending his career on such a note is unlikely to suit him.