Fury-Whyte on hold as WBC delay mandatory decision
Dillian Whyte was expected to be called as Tyson Fury's next opponent during a meeting at the WBC's convention in Mexico this week, but the governing body have since delayed their decision.
During their ratings meeting, the World Boxing Council announced there had been no progress with Dillian Whyte's efforts to fight heavyweight champion Tyson Fury because he's taking legal action, and the case is in the Court of Arbitration. Whilst that is ongoing, there's no chance of ruling on his mandatory status.
It has been a long time coming for Dillian Whyte, but he was finally due to get the world title shot he has craved for so long in 2022. He was meant to face toug Swede Otto Wallin in his last fight on October 30, but a shoulder injury thwarted the contest just weeks before.
The governing body had requested that Fury make contact with Oleksandr Usyk about a unification clash, however, the 30-day window for that to happen closed when the Ukrainian agreed to terms on a rematch with Anthony Joshua. So now, Fury will be forced into a mandatory defense of his green and gold belt against the Brixton 'Body Snatcher', who has been waiting for his chance since being crowned interim champ last March, when he sent Alexander Povetkin into retirement.
@talkSPORT: "Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte expected to be ordered by WBC on Tuesday after deadline passes"
Whyte vs Fury: What's the Verdict?
Understandably, the bookmakers will have the current WBC and The Ring strap-holder in place as a heavy favourite, and it would be very difficult to see how Whyte could overcome his underdog status. However, as we have seen at the heavyweight level on countless occasions, every dog can have his day when one punch can change everything.
According to the current outright Paddy Power betting odds, Fury is priced at odds of 1/7 to prevail against Whyte, who's staked at 4/1. The bookies also have Usyk priced at 4/9 against Joshua, who's at 7/4 odds to walk away from the bout as a winner.
Making a Case
One of the main problems for Whyte is that he will go into the Fury bout on the back of a long period of inactivity. His October encounter with Otto Wallin was canceled after the Brixton man suffered a reported shoulder injury, and if negotiations between Whyte and Fury’s teams go as expected, they will lock horns at some point in the spring of 2022 – making it a whole year since the 33-year-old defeated Alexander Povetkin in their rematch.
Make no bones about it, Fury is on a different level to anyone that Whyte has beaten before – indeed, in a 30-fight career, you could argue that Joshua is the only scrapper anywhere near the level of the Gypsy King on Whyte’s CV, and that ended in a seventh-round KO for the challenger.
Despite compiling an impressive 28-2 record, there are those who still doubt Whyte’s prowess at the elite level. He was perhaps somewhat fortunate to claim a unanimous points victory over Joseph Parker in 2018, while he found it heavy going against Derek Chisora in their grudge match before eventually getting over the line in the eleventh.
Let’s not forget too that Oscar Rivas dropped Whyte to the canvas – the Body Snatcher getting up to rally and claim a points win before that concussive uppercut from Povetkin brought the Brit the second defeat of his career. Revenge was gained in their rematch in Gibraltar, and you certainly cannot accuse Whyte of lacking in heart and character – every time he has faced adversity, he has dusted himself down and righted the wrong.
Nonetheless, it’s very hard to make a case for him against the world's No.1 heavyweight. The Gypsy King is the slickest heavyweight on the planet by some margin, and his size advantage and fast hands will presumably keep Whyte at arm’s length all night long.
The underdog will somehow have to find a way to box his way in close before finding a knockout blow – even then, he’s only two of his last six contests via KO, and Fury has never lost by such an eventuality. The odds will be numerically and metaphorically stacked against Whyte then, but would it be wise to rule him out given what we know about his character?