Alexander Povetkin’s team wants his rematch with Dillian Whyte to be held in Russia.
The 40-year-old Russian pulled off a surprise win at Fight Camp Week 4 on Saturday night when he knocked out Whyte with an uppercut in the fifth round.
Povetkin believed the knockout blow “was perhaps the best shot of my career,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday (via RT International).
However, Povetkin has not yet had a chance to look at the bout on a replay, though he admitted the uppercut was a planned tactic from his team.
“I haven’t watched the fight back. We worked on that shot in training. People can think what they want whether it was a lucky punch or not.”
His manager, Andrey Ryabinskiy, backed him up, saying, “If he hadn’t worked on it in training, then it was a lucky punch, but he did, so there was nothing lucky about it.”
The new interim championship holder would not be drawn into speculation on any potential title fight, as he acknowledges his rematch is likely to be his next task.
“Right now I have a rematch. What can I say about [Tyson] Fury? He’s a strong, skilled boxer, maybe not as technical as [Anthony] Joshua, but I can’t say anything bad about him.
“He’s a nice, fun guy, whenever we have met.”
While the initial fight took place in England, at Matchroom’s makeshift venue at their Brentwood headquarters, Ryabinskiy said he would aim to hold the rematch in Russia.
“I don’t see such a big difference boxing here or in the UK. I would want the fight to be here in Russia because there hasn’t been an event of such magnitude here for a long time.”
Povetkin, however, was indifferent to the prospect of fighting in the UK or in his home country.
“If I’m honest, I don’t care where the rematch will be, whether here or in the UK. Russia is always with me wherever I fight,” he said.
Povetkin disputed the idea that Whyte was the strongest puncher he had come up against, despite being knocked down twice.
“I don't think anyone is stronger than Wladimir Klitschko, but I will not deny that Whyte is a very strong guy.”