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Whyte wins after going through 'hell', Hunter v Povetkin ends in a draw

Dillian Whyte recorded a win on points in Saudi Arabia, but there was no splitting Michael Hunter and Alexander Povetkin on the scorecards

By Rob Lancaster
Wach vs Whyte

Ad Diriyah (Saudi Arabia), December 8: Dillian Whyte declared he had gone through "hell" after he followed up being cleared by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) with a unanimous points win over Mariusz Wach in Diriyah.

The British heavyweight was in the ring 24 hours after UKAD announced they had dropped a doping charge against him that stemmed back to claims of an adverse finding before his triumph over Oscar Rivas in July.

Whyte had already been confirmed on the undercard to Anthony Joshua's rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr prior to the announcement on Friday, though he was understandably not at his best after taking the bout at short notice.

Wach - a former world-title challenger - proved to be a tough obstacle to shift during the 10-rounder, the Polish fighter even enjoying fleeting moments of success in a slow-paced contest.

Still, 'The Body Snatcher' finished strongly to get the nod from all three judges - then admitted in his post-fight interview that he had found it tough while waiting for his name to be cleared.

"I've been off for six months. There have been people screwing me left, right and centre for the past six months, and my mind has not been in the right place, but I carried on training," he told Sky Sports Box Office.

"I took this fight at three weeks' notice, came in about a stone and a half overweight, but I knew that, with my defence, I could get the rounds through. I wanted to stop him, but he's tough.

"I've been through hell these last couple of months, man, but we're here. I'm as tough as old boots."

In the chief support act to the main event in Saudi Arabia, Michael Hunter and Alexander Povetkin battled it out in an absorbing 12-round heavyweight fight that finished as a draw.

Hunter appeared to have his opponent in trouble on more than one occasion, but Povetkin came through the difficult moments to hear the final bell.

The Russian's efforts saw him get the nod 115-113 from one judge, with another tallying it the same in Hunter's favour. The third, however, could not split the pair, the 114-114 card leaving both fighters keen to do it all over again in 2020.

Story first published: Sunday, December 8, 2019, 8:56 [IST]
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