Challengers in waiting sometimes opt to stay active and jeopardize their title shots in combat sports. The UFC saw it with Tony Ferguson and Joanne Calderwood. Now, boxing has gotten its version of the same with Dillian Whyte, who put his interim belt on the line against Alexander Povetkin.
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Whyte was to challenge WBC champion Tyson Fury, but their bout doesn’t seem likely now. ‘The Gypsy King’s promoter Bob Arum reacted to ‘The Body Snatcher’s’ earliest professional career setback.
He wrote, “Dillian Whyte was so busy fighting for his WBC mandatory position that he didn’t see Povetkin’s uppercut, which knocked him cold on his a**”
Dillian Whyte was so busy fighting for his WBC mandatory position that he didn’t see Povetkin’s uppercut, which knocked him cold on his ass.
— Bob Arum (@BobArum) August 22, 2020
Read: Tyson Fury Bob Arum and Others React to Dillian Whyte’s Devastating Loss to Alexander Povetkin
Whyte should have focused on his opponent rather than worrying about the champion. A few days ago, the 27-2 boxer presented his theory on Tyson Fury’s real name being Luke. He alleged that ‘The Gypsy King’ tweaked his name for marketing purposes.
The lack of concentration proved devastating for Whyte, who will have to wait and re-earn a long sought-after title match.
At Matchroom Fight Camp, Povetkin stunned the world with a stupendous uppercut to claim a win from out of the blue. He turned the tables on ‘The Body Snatcher‘, who seemed in control for the opening 12 minutes.
The defeat came two rounds before Whyte’s earlier professional loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015.
Bob Arum predicts Anthony Joshua will join Dillian Whyte
Top Rank’s Bob Arum is pleased as Fury will not have a mandatory challenger following the events at Brentwood. This means he will have only Deontay Wilder to get past before fighting ‘AJ.’
Pulev will KO Joshua next. London Bridges are falling.
— Bob Arum (@BobArum) August 22, 2020
However, Joshua must defend his belts. Arum stated “London bridges are falling” as he predicted ‘Kobrata’ will pull off a huge win.
The Fury-Joshua match has the prestige to survive sans championships up for grabs. But heading into the match with the gold can give either party confidence and bragging rights.
Whyte’s lack of focus has played well into Tyson Fury’s hands. Given the hurdles regarding multiple defenses and quest for a franchise champion tag, Arum’s words can be justified, as he too is delighted by what has transpired.
