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Russian heavyweight boxer Povetkin to face Britain’s Dillian Whyte in Manchester on May 2

The winner will challenge for the World Boxing Council title belt

Alexander Povetkin Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Alexander Povetkin

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russian heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin is set to hold a mandatory challenge bout for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt against Britain’s Dillian Whyte on May 2 in Manchester, a source in the organizing committee announced to TASS on Tuesday.

"It will be the WBC mandatory challenge fight and it will be held in Manchester on May 2," the source stated.

Read also

Russian heavyweight boxer Povetkin says ‘no plans to wrap up sports career’

Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte, 31, has a personal record of 27 wins (18 by KOs) and one defeat throughout his professional boxing career. The organizers of the bout cited Povetkin as saying that he was anticipating the fight to be ‘extremely interesting.’

"I am very glad to go in for the fight with Whyte," Povetkin said. "This fight has been discussed for a long time already, but somehow it never took place."

The Russian boxer last fought in December 2019 facing off US heavyweight Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter. Povetkin and Hunter stood against each other to a draw on December 7, 2019 in Saudi Arabia in the WBA (the World Boxing Association) Heavyweight Title Eliminator bout. The judges’ scorecards read 115-113 for Povetkin, 115-113 for Hunter and 114-114.

Povetkin celebrated his 40th birthday on September 2, two days after his win over Hughie Fury. Late last year Povetkin underwent a surgery on his elbows and then he announced that he was "not thinking about wrapping up with sports career."

On September 22, 2018, UK’s WBA belt holder Anthony Joshua defeated Povetkin in the seventh round with a technical knockout, defending his WBA (World Boxing Association), WBO (World Boxing Organization) and IBF (International Boxing Federation) world heavyweight titles. The Russian boxer was rushed for medical assistance after the match.

Read also

Russia’s heavyweight boxer Povetkin defeated Britain’s Fury in fight for WBA title

Povetkin is known to the fans as the ‘Russian Vityaz,’ and boasts a personal record of 35 wins (24 KOs), two defeats and one draw throughout his career. The Russian boxer is also gold medalist of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

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