24 March 2020

Heavyweight Whyte drives 40 hours to Portugal for training camp, despite fears Povetkin fight could be off

Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has revealed he has driven 40 hours to Portugal for a training camp despite fears his clash with Alexander Povetkin could be called off.

The 31 year-old, who decided to travel by car rather than fly because he wanted to take his dogs, is scheduled to clash with his Russian opponent in Manchester on May 2.

But the coronavirus has already wiped out all boxing events up to April 30 and Eddie Hearn, promoter of Whyte's event, has said the chances of fights going ahead in May are slim.

Yet regardless of the uncertainty surrounding Whyte's pay-per-view clash, he insists he remains focused, which is why he has decided to make the trip to Portugal.

Speaking from Portugal, Whyte said: "It's very important to show people in this time that it's important to train, to get on with life the best you can in these kinds of situations.

"It's quiet but there's food on the shelves and I have a good set-up here. The mindset is my date is still going ahead, so I'm training."

Whyte has a record of 27 victories from 28 fights, with his only defeat coming against Anthony Joshua in December 2015.

The Jamaican-born Brit is currently the mandatory challenger to Tyson Fury's WBC heavyweight title, but will likely have to wait until February 2021 to get his shot at the belt.

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