Dillian Whyte’s heavyweight rematch against Alexander Povetkin will be commemorated by the release of a special edition £2 coin featuring the two boxers.
The coin, which has been commissioned and produced by the Gibraltar National Mint, will mark the long-awaited bout – dubbed ‘Rumble On The Rock’ – with Whyte and Povetkin becoming the first boxers to appear on any sterling currency.
The pair will also join a niche and elite list of sporting figures that have appeared on the currency.
Whyte explained: “It is a great honour for someone like me to go down in history as the first boxer, and first black man, to feature on the sterling currency. I can’t believe that someone that comes from where I come from and has been through what I’ve been through can be honoured in this way.
“There’s a lot of black people that have done much bigger things than me, so it’s a really special occasion for me and my family. This is why we should never give up on children that come from disadvantaged and troubled backgrounds. Kids that are difficult and misunderstood at school can always turn out to do big things in their lives.”
With Whyte unable to depart from his Portugal training camp, the official presentation and striking of his coin was attended by his former headteacher and some pupils from his old school.
The Brixton heavyweight added: “I’d like to thank my former headmaster Gary Phillips and my old maths teacher Isaac Awuley for all of the hard work that they put into me at school. I wish I’d listened to them more! The school is doing really well these days but back then that wasn’t the case, but they did a great job of supporting us all. I can’t thank them enough, they’ve played a bigger part in my life than they think.”
The highly anticipated bout, which will be shown in multiple regions, will take place in Gibraltar on 27 March.
