Dillian Whyte Wins Alexander Povetkin Rematch Via 4th-Round Knockout

It didn't take long for Dillian Whyte to get revenge against Alexander Povetkin. After suffering a knockout loss to the Russian in August, Whyte turned the tables, sending Povetkin to the canvas with a big left hand in the fourth round of their highly anticipated rematch at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar.

Here's the knockout, via DAZN Boxing:

DAZN's Chris Mannix and The Athletic's Mike Coppinger reacted to the quick stoppage:

Whyte wasted little time going after his opponent, confident he had the power and skill to end the night early. In their first meeting, Whyte knocked down Povetkin twice in the fourth round. Unable to finish the job, he lost the match in the fifth when Povetkin caught him with a brilliant uppercut. This time around, Whyte made sure there would be no fatal error.

"All I had to do was be a bit smarter and not make a silly mistake," Whyte said after the fight, per the DAZN broadcast.

Whyte regained the WBC interim world heavyweight title he lost to Povetkin seven months ago. The hardware and performance will help the 32-year-old's career immensely. Another loss would have been a disaster, and Whyte fought like a man desperate to avoid one.

Right from the start, Povetkin looked out of sorts, while Whyte looked confident and fresh. "The Body Snatcher" had Povetkin retreating to the ropes about a minute into the fight after catching him flush on the jaw. A solid jab-cross combo set the tone for the second round, though Povetkin did get in a power shot toward the end.

In the third round, a big right hand from Whyte got the attention of Ring's Tom Gray:

Here's the highlight, from DAZN:

Povetkin's offense was lacking, and Whyte knew it. He used the jab to great effect and then quickly followed up with power shots. The fourth round was simply a continuation of the first three. Two massive right hands and a sweeping left finally did him in.

Boxing commentator Corey Erdman explained why the 41-year-old Povetkin might have been off his game Saturday night: 

With the loss, Povetkin might be looking at retirement. Whyte on the other hand, could be in for some big paydays. After the bout, his promoter, Eddie Hearn, talked about potentially having Whyte fight in the United States this summer, per the DAZN broadcast. Hearn also mentioned the possibility that Whyte could take on Deontay Wilder down the line. That would be a big match with appeal on both sides of the Atlantic.