Well, that was shocking. After finding himself on the canvas not once but twice, Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) was thought to be completely out of it against Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs).
The two squared off as the final event of Fight Camp in Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing backyard. Whyte walked into their contest as the heavy favorite and for good reason. Yet, no matter how many people counted Povetkin out, with one cold hearted left hook, he quickly put out the lights of Whyte in the fifth round and ended their contest in dramatic fashion.
Katie Taylor vs Delfine Persoon
There may not have been a crowd to give both Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon an applause, but there is no doubt that the fans watching from home gave a standing ovation.
Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) got the proverbial monkey off her back this afternoon. When the undisputed lightweight champion met Persoon (44-3, 18 KOs) last year, many were split on who won. This time around, Taylor left no doubt as she was the better boxer on the night.
Persoon, as always, came forward and created chaos for Taylor. To her credit though, she managed to avoid the big shots and land some of her own. It was clear that Taylor was in no mood for a firefight, yet she found herself in one during long stretches of their matchup.
Unlike their first contest however, Taylor dealt with the pressure like the champion that she is and walked away with her undefeated record intact.
The final scores were as followed: 98-93 and two scores of 96-94 all in favor of Taylor.
Chris Kongo vs Luther Clay
It was a systematical breakdown applied by welterweight prospect Chris Kongo (12-0, 7 KOs) against Luther Clay (13-2, 5 KOs).
Throughout much of their contest, Kongo dictated the pace. He showed that size does matter as he continually backed his man up. To the credit of Clay though, he never gave up and rallied back during the mid rounds.
His success however, was brief as Kongo began doubling up on his pressure. Clay reached his breaking point in the ninth round as he hit the deck. The referee began his count but quickly waved off their bout as Clay simply looked out of it.
Shawndell Winters vs Alen Babic
This year just hasn’t been kind to heavyweight journeymen Shawndell Winters (13-4, 12 KOs). Earlier this year, the Illinois native found himself on the wrong end of a knockout loss. That devastating defeat came at the hands of former heavyweight belt holder Joseph Parker.
Fast forward to today, and he once again found himself flat on the mat. This time at the hands of heavyweight prospect Alen Babic (4-0, 4 KOs). With only a few seconds into their second round matchup, Babic sent his man down to the deck. From there, the referee waved off the contest.