Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte is now officially on
After all of the back and forth, demands and counter offers, jibes and goading, the WBC mandatory challenger will meet the Gypsy King after all
After a tumultuous round of will they/won’t they in the heavyweight game, it seems all of the goading and prodding has resulted in Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury coming to terms. They will meet in Wembley on April 23 for the WBC belt. Just hours before the deadline to sign, it seems the 28-2 Whyte decided the juice was, after all, worth the squeeze.
The 31-0-1 Fury hasn’t fought in the UK in nearly four years since signing with Bob Arum and Top Rank. He is coming off a thrilling triple with Deontay Wilder that saw the Gypsy King handed his only career draw.
Fury has been goading Whyte all along the road, suggesting that both Whyte and Anthony Joshua should stand aside and allow Fury to face Oleksander Usyk for the unified heavyweight title. Joshua’s negotiations to make the rematch with Usyk currently appears to be stalled as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champ to return to his homeland.
The banter hasn’t stopped with the fight now made, if anything it seems to be ratcheting up to another level. The Gypsy King showed disdain for his opponent in social media when the announcement was made public.
“Oh my God. Dillian Whyte’s signed his contract for $8m. What a surprise! An absolute idiot. Should this even be a talking point? The man signed, for the biggest payday he’s ever going to get in his life.”
London promoter Frank Warren, whose Queensberry Promotions won the purse bid for the fight is certain that this will be a ticket worth buying.
"Tyson Fury coming home to fight under the arch at Wembley Stadium is a fitting reward for the number one heavyweight in the world following his exploits across the Atlantic in his epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder. It is going to be an incredible night and a huge occasion for sport in this country that will capture the imagination of fans right across the world."
Bob Arum is more circumspect on who he believes will walk away with the titles, though. "Dillian Whyte has called for this fight for years, and while he is a deserving challenger, no heavyweight can match 'The Gypsy King’.”