Whyte: "I'm Not Thinking About Tyson Fury"
Alexander Povetkin's pedigree means the Russian will not be underestimated by Dillian Whyte on May 2 in Manchester.
Dillian Whyte has no intention of looking beyond Alexander Povetkin as he patiently waits for his shot at the WBC heavyweight title.
Whyte is the mandatory challenger to Tyson Fury but will have to wait his turn, the reigning champion instead set to face Deontay Wilder for a third time later this year.
His status at the head of the queue will be on the line when the 31-year-old defends the governing body's interim belt against experienced Russian Povetkin in Manchester on May 2.
It is a calculated gamble from Whyte, as he acknowledged at a press conference on Wednesday, but he is only focused on his next foe, rather than a potential fight with Fury further down the line.
"I know all this stuff is floating around in the background, but Povetkin is a dangerous guy. You can never afford to overlook him," he told the media.
"I'm not thinking about Tyson Fury and what is happening with him. I'm just thinking about Alexander Povetkin.
"He [Povetkin] is going to want to come and fight, leave it all on the line. That's in his DNA. We are very similar in that mindset, we will come and give it our all.
"We will see what happens. On May 3, we can chat about Tyson Fury. For now, I put that on the backburner and just focus on Alexander Povetkin for the next eight weeks."
Povetkin is a former Olympic gold medallist who has only lost twice as a pro, those defeats coming against Wladimir Klitschko - when he went the distance - and Anthony Joshua.
Whyte cannot lean on such experiences in the ring, leaving him to learn on the job, but still believes he can beat anyone in the division - provided he stays in shape.
"This is about learning for me, I'm fighting these guys and learning," Whyte - whose only blemish in 28 fights came against Joshua in 2015 - said.
"He's been through the mill and seen every style, faced every style. I haven't. I'm learning on the job, in at the deep end and swimming.
"Listen, I believe I beat them all anyway. I've just got to be in shape. As long as I leave the cakes alone, I'm good."