WBC heavyweight champion of the world Tyson Fury will be back in action this April against interim titleholder Dillian Whyte. After a brutal thrashing of arch rival Deontay Wilder in both of their two previous encounters, Fury is the favourite for many in the title unification bout, but there are some who feel Whyte is a very tougher challenge for ‘The Gypsy King”, and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum even believes Whyte to be even more dangerous than Wilder.
Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte, which is targeted for 23rd April won a record $40 million purse bid. The purse bid was won jointly by Top Rank and Queensbury Promotions, with Top Rank president Todd duBoef revealing 23rd April to be the targeted date for the fight, which will take place on English soil. Even though a venue has not been confirmed yet, Queensbury Promotion chief Frank Warren has named Wembley Stadium in London, capable of holding 80k spectators, as a possible choice.
Bob Arum lauds Dillian Whyte as ‘rugged’, ‘experienced’ opponent for Tyson Fury
Even though many would consider Fury to be the outright favourite against Whyte, especially after his back-to-back thrashing of Wilder, Matchroom MD Eddie Hearn recently said that Whyte will be a tough challenge for Fury, even tougher than a potential undisputed championship clash against undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. And now, Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum also sails the same boat and says “The Villain” will be even harder for the WBC champ than his rival.
“Whyte has a great chance because he’s a big, big puncher,” Arum said in an interview with IFL TV, “He’s a very rugged heavyweight, a very experienced heavyweight. If anything, he poses a bigger danger to Tyson than even Deontay Wilder did.”
Former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew, however, picks Fury to be the best in his division at present and while admitting that Usyk will be a close contest for the Briton, his domination over Wilder has fortified his spot on the heavyweight throne.
“Tyson Fury right now is the best heavyweight in the world,” Bellew spoke to Talk Sport, “I think Oleksandr Usyk pushes him close but the way he dealt with Deontay Wilder last time out you can’t say he’s not the number one.” [H/T Boxingscene.com]
Highlights:
- Top Rank CEO Bob Arum believes WBC interim heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte will be a tougher challenge for WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury compared to Deontay Wilder
- Fury vs Whyte is targeted for April 23rd in the United Kingdom
