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If you play with fire for long enough, sooner or later you’re going to get burned.
That is what Dillian Whyte found out on Saturday night.
The Brit has taken some tough, risky fights on his own accord over the past few years.
Dillian Whyte has taken some risky fights in his career and got burned by one on Saturday
The Brixton fighter looked to be in complete control before an uppercut by Alexander Povetkin
Mixing it with Dereck Chisora, Oscar Rivas, Joseph Parker and now Alexander Povetkin has been Whyte’s double-edged sword.
They have been huge learning fights and a big reason why he has improved so much, but his world title hopes are now in tatters after being knocked out cold by a chilling Povetkin uppercut.
Here, Sportsmail takes a look at where Saturday’s shock defeat has left Whyte and how it has affected the heavyweight landscape.
WHAT NEXT FOR WHYTE?
The Brixton fighter immediately announced his intentions to trigger a rematch clause after his shock defeat against Povetkin.
Whyte spent more than 1,000 days as the WBC mandatory challenger and had been in position to fight for the WBC world title next had he won on the weekend, but his wait will have to go on.
His promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the plan is to do the rematch before the end of the year, which will give Whyte the opportunity to regain his spot as the No 1 with the WBC.
Whyte (left) is determined to use his rematch clause to get in the ring again with Povetkin
And he has already vowed to right his wrongs.
‘In the rematch, I will handle business,’ Whyte said.
‘You have to strike while the iron is hot. The time is now. There’s no point waiting into next year.
‘He’s in shape, I’m in shape, let’s get it on. Immediate rematches are usually on fire.’
WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?
One punch can change a fight in the heavyweight division is how the old adage goes.
And it rang true here.
Whyte was in complete control and had his man down twice before Povetkin pulled out a fight-ending shot from nowhere.
Anyone can get caught and knocked out but there is no denying that the last 12 months has been far from ideal preparation for Whyte.
He had to deal with a lengthy five-month UK Anti-Doping investigation into a positive test in the build-up to his points win over Oscar Rivas before his name was cleared.
When he returned that December he was overweight and lumbered to victory against Mariusz Wach in Saudi Arabia.
Povetkin (right) had been sent to the canvas twice before unleashing a monstrous uppercut
Months after it was announced he would fight Povetkin, a pandemic struck pushing his fight back further, meaning it was over a year that he last fought in supreme condition.
He split with long-time trainer Mark Tibbs during the start of his camp and worked with Xavier Miller. Respected trainer Dave Coldwell was also brought on board as a second pair of eyes.
Whyte is familiar with Coldwell and Miller but making drastic changes before such an important fight always seemed like a strange decision.
It may never have made a difference but you wonder if it played any part.
Whyte also had Povetkin down and hurt on two occasions but refrained from putting his foot on the gas and paid the ultimate price.
IS FURY V JOSHUA NOW ONE STEP CLOSER?
The long and short of it is, yes.
But this is a baby step forward.
Whyte was a complication that neither Fury or Joshua wanted and now he has been removed.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Fury would now be free to take whatever road he chooses to if he deals with Deontay Wilder next.
Whyte’s defeat means Anthony Joshua (left) versus Tyson Fury (right) edges even closer
He has already agreed a two-fight deal with Joshua, but only finances have been discussed.
There are still many hurdles to overcome, including the 6ft 7in one that is Wilder.
If Fury cannot repeat his victory over his rival then this fight is as good as dead.
Joshua will need to keep his side of the bargain too and has Kubrat Pulev to contend with first.
It’s still all very conditional but with Whyte out of the equation, the path is clearer.
HOW HAS IT LEFT THE HEAVYWEIGHT LANDSCAPE?
Povetkin is now a world title contender again at the age of 40 while Whyte is back on the fringes.
The Russian replaced Whyte as the WBC mandatory and will be in line for a world title shot next year should he win their anticipated rematch.
If there was anyone who benefited from this outcome more than Povetkin though it was Michael Hunter. The American heavyweight predicted that Whyte would be knocked out after sharing 12 rounds with Povetkin back in December.
Hunter should have walked away with the win that night but was contentiously denied with the judges returning a split-decision draw verdict.
Povetkin is a legitimate world title contender again and will get a shot if he wins their rematch
His stature in the heavyweight division would have undoubtedly risen after this. Whyte, meanwhile, will be clinging on to his credibility.
Before the knockout, it was almost a punch-perfect performance but boxing is a fickle business and there will be doubts and questions about Whyte now. There will be little clamour to see him challenge Fury too, even if he does reclaim his No 1 spot with the WBC in the rematch after this defeat.
Whyte had been building a rivalry with Andy Ruiz Jr over the past few months but the former world champion will believe he is above him now and won’t be interested in trading bards or sharing the ring with him anytime soon.
Whyte had also been lined up as a stepping stone for Daniel Dubois, who will now be gunning for that fight more than ever.
The Brixton man remains a major player in the heavyweight division but he knows it will be a long road back to the top if he doesn’t eradicate the ghost of Saturday night as soon as possible.
Whyte remains key in heavyweight boxing but the manner of the defeat will be tough to take
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