Dillian Whyte has long ago established himself as the best heavyweight in the world to have never fought for a major title. That status won’t change even with a win in his next fight, which comes in the place where he first established himself as a rising contender.
The mandatory challenger in waiting enters yet another tough fight, as he faces Alexander Povetkin atop a May 2 Sky Sports Box Office event live from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The bout marks Whyte’s fight back in the United Kingdom since a 12-round win over Oscar Rivas last July, which served as the last of four straight fights at the O2 Arena in his home region of London, England.
Yet , there wasn’t any hesitation when it came time to return to a venue where he’s only fought once before—and in a dangerous challenge against a perennial top ten contender.
“To be a great heavyweight champion, you need to be comfortable fighting anywhere in the world, any venue up and down,” Brixton, England’s Whyte (27-1, 18KOs) insisted during a press conference held Wednesday in Manchester to formally announce the event. “I’ve been on the road for most of my career. I’ve fought in America, I’ve fought in Saudi, fought in Hull, fought up here. I don’t get comfortable in one place.
“I don’t think about ‘Oh I want to fight in O2.’ You have to get comfortable fighting everywhere. Manchester is a great city, famous for good fights. Last time I was here, I fought out of my skin. So I just have to do the same thing again come May 2. It is what it is. I just have to be ready mentally and physically. It’s time to show the world what I can do.”
Whyte’s lone other appearance at this arena came more than three years ago, barely outlasting domestic rival Derek Chisora in their first fight in December 2016. The split decision earned by Whyte marked his fourth straight win following his lone career defeat, when he was stopped in seven rounds by countryman Anthony Joshua when both were still unbeaten prospects.
The win over Chisora helped establish Whyte as a contender to watch, further enhancing that status with wins over a number of top-ranked contenders. It’s also propelled him to the top of the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings, though now going on more than two years in waiting for a title fight to materialize. He’s settled for the interim version of the belt while waiting out what will now be a third fight between unbeaten two-time lineal champ (and WBC titlist) Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, with Whyte due to face the winner.
Fittingly, this fight takes place in Fury’s hometown, although it remains as much of an afterthought to Whyte as does what awaits a future beyond his interim title defense versus Povetkin.
“I’m not thinking about Tyson Fury, we can discuss all that on May 3,” insists Whyte. “For now, I put that on the backburner and just concentrate on Povetkin for the next eight weeks.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox