A thinner Tyson Fury will take on a determined Dillian Whyte for the Heavyweight belt
There is a great deal of respect between the two former training partners, but rest assured when Saturday night comes it’s going to be war.
With the stage set, the ‘Gypsy King’ is ready for his title bout against the No. 1 contender in an all British affair, but can he cut it this one last time?
Tyson Fury is slimmer but will it matter against Dillian Whyte?
As he strolled up to the scale with the Gala’s “Freed from Desire,” pounding through the speakers, the man they call the Gypsy King was greeted by immense cheers and applause. Yet perhaps the most eye catching moment of the evening was when Tyson Fury actually stepped on the scale. Weighing in at 264.8 lbs, the reigning heavyweight champion is nearly 13 pounds lighter than when he faced Deontay Wilder back in October of 2021. With the Fury set to face Dillian Whyte on Saturday in front of 94,000 in Wembley Stadium at 2 p.m. ET, this will be his first ever title fight on British soil. Additionally, it’s actually just the third all-British heavyweight title fight in the division’s 130-year-plus history. Whyte for his part weighed in at 253.25 lbs.
Tyson Fury talks about his weight
Speaking on his visibly slimmer physique and the telling numbers on the scale, Fury couldn’t hide his excitement. “For the last fight, it’s no secret, [trainer SugarHill Steward] can tell you, we had about four, five weeks training time for that, and in that time we had to cross the Atlantic to Vegas in a different time zone,” Fury told ESPN when asked to explain all the pounds that were shed. “For this camp, we had 14 weeks preparation. We’re in shape!”
Of course Fury’s body has always been the focus of critique and ridicule, however, it would be a mistake to question his condition. This is after all the same fighter who battled for 11 grueling rounds against a determined Deontay Wilder in what was arguably the fight of the year, before finally knocking out his opponent. There were no signs of fatigue when Fury belted out a celebratory song in the ring before going on to party the night away in Las Vegas. At that time Fury weighed a career high 277 lbs.
What’s the purse for Fury vs Whyte?
At 33 years old, Fury is in his prime, which is fitting with a guaranteed payday of $29,538,000 whether he wins or loses. If Fury whose record is 31-0-1 with 22 KOs should win, he will earn a career high $33,640,500 - there is a $4,102,500 win bonus. On the other side of the divide, Whyte is set to earn $7.4 million guaranteed, with the same previously mentioned bonus on the line should he win. Yet it should be said that Fury insists this will be his last fight. A declaration which seems strange in light of the clear allure of a fight for the undisputed championship later this year against the winner of the July 23rd rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
“I’m taking it all in, like every person who came, it means the world to me,” Fury said. “There was once upon a time in this country when fans booed me, believe it or not. Now, they embrace me and they love me and it’s an overwhelming feeling; overjoyed with it all. Fantastic support from the British people.”
What about Dillian Whyte?
Originally born in Jamaica before being raised in England, Whyte who holds a record of 28-2 to go with 19 KOs has become a fixture for headlining pay per view fights in recent years. That being said, the No. 1 contender was forced to wait quite some time for his shot at the title having been in the queue since 2017. As he acknowledged a need for adaptability against Fury who has both a height and reach advantage, Whyte was calculated with his words. “I’m going to make smart decisions, when I need to do what and how I need to do it, and how I need to approach what I’m doing,” Whyte said. “So that’s it. There’s no strategy here. That’s it. I just need to go in there and do my thing.”
Whyte went on to explain just what this moment is for him. “[The fight] means everything. It’s massive. It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for. It’s a big fight. Like Tyson said, we didn’t expect to be here. But I’m here, but I’ve taken risks time and time again. I’ve had a couple slipups along the way, but I’m here and I’m ready to go. You won’t hear any bullshit from me. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go to war tomorrow. ...Everyone’s got their time, and I feel this is my time.”
Tyson Fury respects Dillian Whyte
If you didn’t know, Fury and Whyte were actually sparring partners in the past and with that, Fury has often admitted that Whyte has his full respect having watched him secure difficult victories across his career. “[Whyte] is a good fighting man. The fans are in for a real treat,” Fury said. “I know Dillian. I know him personally, and he knows me. And we’re going to rock n’ roll on fight night. We’re ready to throw down and treat us all to a hell of a barnstorm.”