Former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye believes the boxing world will see a different Dillian Whyte in his eagerly-awaited rematch with Alexander Povetkin in Gibraltar at the weekend.
Last August, Whyte perhaps lacked the sharpness and devilry that saw him rise to the WBC’s No.1 ranked spot in the heavyweight division and paid a hefty price with Russian warhorse Povetkin rising from two knockdowns to score a highlight reel knockout in the fifth round.
Having dropped back down into the chasing heavyweight pack after that sobering defeat, two-weight champion Haye, manager of Whyte’s old rival Dereck Chisora, believes the Brixton banger will be more clinical and ruthless in the return.
“That slip left uppercut, he’ll never forget that,” Haye told Sky Sports. “[Dillian Whyte] won’t be getting hit with that same shot again. His coaches, his team will review what happened and everything was going great until that one shot.
“I’m thinking that Dillian Whyte is going to go out there and do what he should have done the first time around. Strictly business, no messing around, no going for a walk. No, he’s going to go out there and dominate.
“Same way he attacked someone like Joseph Parker, where he went out there, showed him no respect and really put the heat on him.
“That’s what I believe is the easiest way for Dillian Whyte to get a solid victory against Povetkin. He needs it.
“A points decision victory isn’t really good enough. He’s got to go out there and completely, utterly dominate. He put him down a couple of times in their first fight. He’s got to put him out this time.”
Main image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.
