Going into his recent bout with Wilder, the WBC had ordered the winner of the fight to face Brixton-based Dillian Whyte next (who is the WBC interim champion) if a contract for a unification fight against Oleksandr Usyk could not be agreed within 30 days.
However, plans for a unification fight were put to one side when a rematch clause between Anthony Joshua and Usyk became triggered. With this fight set to take place in March or April (according to promoter Eddie Hearn) ‘The Gypsy King’ may have to wait until the latter part of 2022 before getting the chance to unify the division.
Dillian’s Division Dilemma
Fury’s second and third fights with Wilder were over 18 months apart, and the current WBC world heavyweight champion will be looking to keep his activity up in the coming months. With Dillan ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte looking like the frontrunner for this epic matchup.
Whyte had already lined up a bout between himself and Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin – who famously caused the Gypsy King more problems than he was expecting when the pair fought in 2019 – scheduled for October 30th, although a shoulder injury picked up in his training camp meant Whyte had to pull out of the fight, preventing the contest from taking place.
Whilst the fight has been ordered by the WBC, and the promotion for an all-British heavyweight clash between the two looks to be gaining momentum, the situation remains complex and is certainly unresolved at this moment in time.
What Wallin Wants-
Wallin and his team have put pressure on the boxing governing bodies to have their original fight with Dillian rescheduled. They believe Whyte being granted a fight with Tyson Fury, and essentially bypassing the Swedish heavyweight contender, would be unfair.
Otto’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita, told Sky Sports, “The fight has to be rescheduled for a later date, and the winner of that fight should fight Tyson Fury.’ He went on to add, “anything else would be unfair to the sport of boxing, and unfair to Otto Wallin.”
Whyte has shown extreme patience in his pursuit of a world title fight, but that patience appearance to be running thin. For the best part of three years now he has been consistently ranked amongst the top heavyweights, beating a number of top contenders in the process, with the only blip on his record coming in the form of a knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin in their first encounter.
A fan Favourite-
Many boxing fans would not begrudge Whyte if a fight with the lineal champion was to come to fruition. This is because they still question how the now 33-year-old, after always putting on a show against top quality opponents, has not been granted an opportunity to fight for a world title ahead of other fighters.
If a bout between Fury and Whyte is agreed, it would be a huge fight for British and world boxing, as both men are ranked amongst the current top five heavyweights. The agreement is also dependent on what the Gypsy King decides is the best next move for him.
The champ’s US promoter, Bob Arum, has revealed Fury wants to return to the UK for his next title defence. Speaking to Sky Sports he said a fight between the two ‘would be very attractive in the UK’, adding “It is very, very important that Tyson, having done his last five fights in the US, goes back and does a fight in the UK.”
The Title Snatcher?
With Fury’s sights set on returning to the ring in the UK, and the potential for yet another mega fight, team ‘body snatcher’ will be hoping an agreement can be reached between the pair for early 2022.
Speaking about the potential draw of this fight, the former MMA competitor, told the media, “It’s one that I’m looking forward to’, continuing, ‘I think Tyson Fury will look forward to fighting me as well.”
Seasoned promoter of Whyte, Eddie Hearn, explained how he and others behind the scenes are pushing to make this fight a reality: “We’re going to see it, we’re going to push for that fight in a big stadium in the spring, and I believe we’ll see that next.” He finished by making clear, “It’s time to see Dillian Whyte get a shot at the world heavyweight title.”
Team Whyte will be doing everything they can to keep the momentum for this potential bout building, hoping negotiations can lead to a breakthrough in securing the Fury fight, allowing for both men to move forward with their careers and add to their growing legacies. Whyte will be hoping his patience and perseverance pays off, finally getting the opportunity to add a world title to his excellent list of career accomplishments.
Main image: Dillian Whyte poses for a portrait during the Clash On The Dunes Press Conference at the Diriyah Season Hospitality Lounge (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty)
