The considerable weight difference between the two heavyweights is smaller than it was in the first bout, won by Povetkin.

Dillian Whyte has continued to trim the fat ahead of his rematch with Alexander Povetkin in Gibraltar on Saturday, hitting the scales on the eve of fight night at 247.2lbs.

Whyte weighed 252lbs and six ounces for their first meeting at Matchroom Boxing HQ last August, which the Londoner dominated before being KOd by a perfect Povetkin uppercut in a thrilling one-punch turnaround.

That weight in itself was a huge improvement on Whyte’s most recent pre-pandemic readings, and now he has dropped an additional 5lbs as he looks to save his world title aspirations by avenging the shocking defeat and reclaiming the interim WBC heavyweight title.

“It’d mean everything to me,” Whyte told weigh-in coverage host Chris Lloyd after the obligatory tense staredown with his opponent. “I’ve trained hard, worked hard and come in a stone or more lighter then usual.

“I’ve made little adjustments, and I’m prepared for 12 rounds. I was prepared for that last time, you know. I probably respected him too much. He’s a good fighter. People start telling me this, that and the other about Povetkin and you can be more careful because of it. But this time, I don’t care. I just don’t care.

“Every time I step into the ring, I try to give my all. Win, lose or draw. It’s all I’ve done my whole career. Pressure is a thing you can create for yourself if you listen to people. I’m ready to go on Saturday. Stopping him is definitely the plan. But if I’ve got to box him first, I will. I’ll use my angles, my range and my legs.”

Povetkin again weighs considerably less than his foe, but at 228 and one quarter lbs he is over four pounds bigger than for the first showdown.

“Everything is fine, as usual,” said the Russian via an interpreter. “What happens in the ring is a different story, but outside the ring I will be respectful all the time.

“My goal is to focus on the fight and show beautiful boxing. That’s it.“