Whyte vs. Povetkin “Rumble on the Rock” Full Fight Card Boxing Report

Dillian Whyte flattened Alexander Povetkin with a huge left hook after an inspired performance to gain redemption in their high-stakes rematch at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all other markets excluding the UK and Ireland.

Whyte had Povetkin on the brink of a knockout throughout their second heavyweight battle and closed the show dramatically, returning the favour after he lost to the Russian last year.

A fight that balanced destruction and discipline from Whyte has propelled him back near the front of the queue of contenders in the division where Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are set to decide the undisputed champion.

“I’m happier for my team than I am for me because some of my staff missed Christmas with their families,” Whyte told Matchroom. “They stayed back to help me train. They did so much behind the scenes to get me into the position for a World Title fight.

“I was so close, and then one lapse in concentration and I made a mistake. Tonight, I was like ‘yo’, I’m looking to beat some a** tonight. I was trying to get it done in the first round but then I had to relax. Anybody on the planet that gets hit with that left hook, they’re going down. Some of them might get up but most will stay down. He was kind of badly hurt. Now I feel bad. I want him to go home to his family healthy.

“Everyone says a lot of things about me like I’m not this and I’m not that. These guys don’t know me. These guys don’t know what I’m capable of and what I can do. When I read the comments about me, I just laugh. I just laugh at these guys because I’m as strong as steel.

“One loss, two loss so what. It was a good learning fight for me because I had to think in there. I was rushing him but I had to think also. He’s still very heavy-handed and he’s still very good. I’m going to spend some time with my family and just relax. I’ll probably call Eddie tomorrow and ask him what we’re doing next. I want to make the most of it now and retire good and healthy.”

Fast-rising Ipswich Heavyweight talent Fabio Wardley notched the most impressive win of his career by stopping two-time World Title challenger Eric Molina in five rounds.

The unbeaten 26-year-old took a sizeable step up in class against Molina, but produced produced a destructive response to stop the Texan in explosive fashion.

A big right hand shook Wardley, prompting vicious counter punches that sent Molina crashing to the canvas as Wardley progressed to 11-0 (10 KOs).

“My corner weren’t too happy because sometimes I get a little bit, not lose my head, but I get a little bit bored of playing the long game and waiting it through in the tactics side,” Wardley told Sky Sports. “My heart won over a bit and I got stuck into a little bit of a war.

“I’m by no means the finished article. I’ve still got a lot to learn and that’s why we need fights like that because in other fights I’ve had where I’ve hit people, I’ve stuck it on them and they’ve gone missing. Molina didn’t go missing until we really had to dig it out.

“There was a few lessons there for us to watch back and for us to tick off. We’ll go back to the drawing board and figure them out. I needed this type of fight at this stage of my career. You can do it as much as you want in sparring and all of those type of things but it’s different when you get here under the bright lights.

“You need to test yourself in different ways and that’s what tonight was all about. I don’t go hunting for names, that’s not my style. I don’t go calling people out. I’m going for Titles, belts and accolades. That’s where we’re going next. We’re still trying to build and get those good level of opponents. At the same time, I’m now looking for that next step up. European, Commonwealth or British, something like that.”

Ted Cheeseman recaptured the British Super-Welterweight Title with a brilliant eleventh round knockout of the previously unbeaten James Metcalf.

The Londoner floored Metcalf with a big left hand in the closing seconds of the 11th round and the Liverpudlian was counted out in a thrilling finish to their domestic battle.

Metcalf had nearly been halted in the fourth round, but stalled Cheeseman’s charge with a stubborn response before an explosive ending.

“Again and again I’m in exciting fights,” said Cheeseman. “I’m always in entertaining fights. I’m improving and maturing. I’m working hard in the gym. Everyone doubted me and thought that I had a lot of miles on the clock. I’m still fresh as a daisy, and again I’ve cemented myself as the number one domestic Super-Welterweight.

“I felt I won the first five or six rounds. I nearly had him out of there in the fourth. I thought to myself, ‘I’m not going to waste too much energy’. I used my experience and had a couple of rounds off. I don’t think he’d ever done the 12 rounds. Then it was time for me to step it up, bully him and push him back.

“It’s great to be in these fights because they’re entertaining. I’m looking forward to the future now. For a long while I was down, and everyone thought I was out. Now I’m flying again. The bookies had me as an underdog and a lot of people thought that I was going to get beat. I outboxed him, I outfought him and I knocked him out. I showed how good I am, and I showed how much I’ve improved.”