DILLIAN WHYTE’S trainer Dave Coldwell believes the Brit should target a fight with Deontay Wilder after Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte’s career reputation is on the line tonight as he looks to exact revenge over the powerful Russian.
The Body Snatcher, 32, endured a shock TKO against Povetkin seven months ago after taking a brutal uppercut.
But he has the opportunity to take win back his WBC interim heavyweight title shot at the Rumble on the Rock in Gibraltar.
Coldwell, who also worked with Tony Bellew, believes it’s a fight Whyte can’t afford to lose.
He told talkSPORT: “In terms of being in line for a heavyweight title then yes [he has to win], but it’s also a chance to put this to bed.
“He was boxing well in the first fight. To be fair to Povetkin, he was competitive and was in the fight – he was having a lot of good shots downstairs throughout even when there was no sign of Dillian being in real trouble.
“It’s not like it was just one shot – it’s going to be a dangerous fight again. It will be as long as Povetkin is in there. Dillian Whyte has to win.
“He wins and he can put that [defeat] to bed and get back to where he was. If he loses the problem is other people are in the pecking order ahead of him.”
Coldwell was also quizzed on a potential ‘dangerous’ match-up between Whyte and big-hitting American Wilder in the future.
Wilder has been out of action since suffering defeat to Tyson Fury in February 2020.
Coldwell added: “As a fan that’s a fight you’d want to see. The build up and the fight itself would be unbelievable.
“It’s another one of those fights that if you look at that division and you look at the names that everyone has fought and then look at who Dillian Whyte has fought.
“You have to give him props as he’s fought some top names in that division. He’s had some great fights in that division, and I just want him to have a world title shot.
“Ultimately he was no.1 mandatory [for the title] for so long and never got his shot at the WBC – he wanted that belt.
“He stayed loyal to that belt – he never got his crack – and then one fight away from it he gets knocked out. I’d like him to get his shot.
“Wilder is a dangerous fight. If that’s not for a world title, then that’s a real dangerous fight. It could be a mark-in-time fight or something like that.
“As a fan, and as a neutral, of course I’d like to see that fight, it would be great.”
