Alexander Povetkin’s problems in the opening minute of his rematch with Dillian Whyte were an indication of what was to come Saturday night.

A right hand by Whyte made Povetkin stumble less than 40 seconds into their scheduled 12-round rematch. Povetkin struggled to regain his footing and looked shaky as he tried to re-establish his balance early in the first round.

Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s promoter, sensed that the 41-year-old Povetkin never recovered from the trouble he experienced during the opening round of their one-sided second bout. Whyte pummeled Povetkin for much of their WBC interim heavyweight championship rematch, until his left hook knocked Povetkin to the canvas and ended their second fight late in the fourth round at Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar.

“It went much the same way as the first fight, didn’t it, other than the knockout,” Hearn told DAZN’s Chris Lloyd at ringside following Whyte’s win. “I mean, he just manhandled him. Really, Povetkin got hurt in the first round and I don’t think he really recovered, to be honest with you. He looked completely shook when he went back to the corner. And Dillian Whyte, just too big, too strong, too violent for Alexander Povetkin.

“And in the end, a great finish, and back in the position he was, you know, back in a great position now to move forward and try and get a shot at the world heavyweight title. We know there’s a logjam. And people kept saying to me, ‘What next? What after, if he wins? Tonight was just about winning. Back in a great position.”

Russia’s Povetkin reached his feet before referee Victor Loughlin counted to 10 on Saturday night. Loughlin understandably determined that a disoriented Povetkin shouldn’t continue and he stopped the action at 2:39 of the fourth round.

Whyte’s right hand knocked Povetkin into the ropes several seconds before his left hook sent Povetkin to the canvas with 28 seconds to go in the fourth round.

The 32-year-old Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) avenged his brutal knockout defeat to Povetkin (36-3-1, 25 KOs) on August 22 in Brentwood, England.

Whyte was winning their first fight pretty easily, too. He dropped Povetkin twice during the fourth round, but Povetkin recovered before the start of the fifth round.

Early in the fifth round, Povetkin uncorked a picture-perfect left uppercut that knocked Whyte unconscious. Whyte avenged that defeat and regained the WBC interim title from Povetkin by winning their rematch Saturday night.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.