TYSON FURY VS. DILLIAN WHYTE REVIEW: THE GYPSY KING SINKS THE BODY SNATCHER IN THE SIXTH

 

By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove

Wembley Stadium

If Saturday night proves to be the final night of Tyson Fury’s career, then he will have performed yet another rare feat during his tumultuous boxing career, by becoming one of the very few world champions who chose to walk away while they were still ‘king of the hill’. With his sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte before a record-breaking audience of 94,000, Tyson showed that he is not just the best heavyweight in the world, but if anything at almost 34 years of age, still getting better. Tyson dismantled Whyte with the air of a man watering his garden on a Saturday afternoon. Any fears that the three wars with Deontay Wilder may have taken something out of Fury were shown to be unfounded as ‘The Gypsy King’ first out-boxed, then out-punched ‘The Body Snatcher’ before finally knocking him out of the fight altogether with a clinical right uppercut. Fury did all this with ease, which left the impression that he had barely got out of 2nd gear. In the end, it was easier than many had expected it to be. Whyte was always seemingly a step behind, as ‘The Gypsy King’ showed himself to be a league above his challenger.

Dillian Whyte Enters Ring

The bout began cagily with both men weighing each other up, and few meaningful punches being landed. By the end of the round Fury was already landing with his jab and showing a nimbleness of footwork, which underlined the flat-footed nature of his challenger.

Anyone who believed that Whyte would start the fight fast and aggressively was probably surprised by Whyte's demeanor. Fury is usually always a slow starter, and many felt that the challenger's best chance of victory, (perhaps his only chance) was to go after the champion from the start. Yet Whyte started slowly, stalking Fury but without the fire that might have been expected. Another surprise was that Whyte opened the bout boxing as a southpaw, rather than in his usual orthodox stance. This might have been part of a plan to try and unsettle the champion, but if anything, it seemed to confuse Dillian more than anyone else. Whatever plan lay behind Whyte's change in stance was hastily abandoned after the opening round, and he fought the remainder of the match in his usual orthodox manner. This was always going to be a long shot tactic for Whyte, as Fury is one of the very few fighters who can switch with ease from orthodox to southpaw, so he was never very likely to be bothered by Whyte's rather random attempt at boxing southpaw.

Fury was finding his rhythm by the second round while Whyte was already beginning to struggle with the champion’s speed and movement. Tyson’s greatest attribute has always been not so much his size but the speed and dexterity which he has for a man of his size. Add that to his ring IQ and fitness, which belies his fleshy exterior, and you have a clue to Fury’s success.

It was becoming clear that this was a much sharper and better conditioned ‘Gypsy King’ than we saw against Wilder last October. Weighing in 13 pounds lighter at 264 pounds, Fury’s reflexes and footwork was clearly improved. Fury was displaying the boxing skills that he largely abandoned last October against Wilder, when under trained and ring rusty, he had to resort to going toe-to-toe to win their 3rd and final war.

Fury was pot-shotting Whyte with jabs and the occasional right hand, landing then stepping out of range. As the fight progressed, he was putting more and more weight into his punches.

By the third round, Fury was already beginning to slowly dominate. He was subtly chipping away at Whyte with his left, at times tantalizing his challenger by switching stances that seemed to wrong-foot and befuddle Whyte even more. Always a rather flat-footed fighter, Fury’s nimbleness was making Dillian seem pedestrian and clumsy.

Whyte was already breathing heavily by the 4th stanza and showed some signs of growing frustration as he attempted to drag Fury into a mauling brawl. There were some ugly clinches and wrestling, as the referee seemed to struggle to retain control of the fighters. One such mauling clinch ended with a head butt from Whyte, which ironically resulted in a cut above his right eye.

Fury stepped the pace up in the 5th and some blows visibly hurt Whyte. As well as regularly spearing his challenger with a damaging straight left, Fury was also hurting Whyte with rights to the body. When he returned to his corner at the end of the round, Fury seemed to say to his cornermen ‘Next round’.

The conclusion came near the end of what had been a fairly quiet round. Fury patiently looked for his opening while he jabbed with his left, and Whyte was seemingly out of ideas and constantly tried to hold and maul the champion. When the opening came Fury took it with deadly precision. The end came via a peach of a right uppercut, which deposited Whyte flat on his back. Fury’s hand speed, accuracy, and underrated ability on the inside all came to play into the dramatic finish of this match.

To his credit, Whyte beat the count and tried to convince the referee that he was ok to continue. However, his wobbly and uncoordinated body betrayed the fact that his brain was no longer in charge of his faculties, and the referee’s decision to stop the fight was probably his best action of the night.

It was a brilliant performance by Tyson, who ended the fight unmarked and had barely taken a serious punch. He had outclassed ‘The Body Snatcher’ and underlined his standing in the heavyweight division. Tyson stands head and shoulders over the rest of the division, not just physically, but in all areas which make up a top pugilist.

If anything, judging by this performance, at 34 years of age, Tyson is still improving. After a career plagued by inactivity, (which was usually down to outside issues out of his control) Tyson was finally able to give us a glimpse of what he can do when he is fully trained, healthy, and not coming off a long layoff. Despite the wars with Wilder, Tyson seems to still have a lot left in the tank and a lot more to show if he faces a challenger capable of pushing him more than Dillian Whyte did Saturday night. Should he walk away now while still at his peak? It is a question, which only Tyson Fury himself should decide. Retirement has always been the biggest challenge for most fighters, especially when they are at or near the top of the tree.

Team Fury Celebrating

If he does walk away now, Tyson Fury would be in rare company. Only one other world heavyweight champion has ever retired undefeated while champion and stayed retired, and that was the legendary Rocky Marciano.

Ironically, Britain’s last outstanding world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was also one of the very few to walk away while still world champion, but he was not undefeated, like the ‘Gypsy King’.

On one hand, it would be nice to see Fury face the winner of Usyk vs Joshua, ‘The Gypsy King’ brings an atmosphere and excitement to boxing that no one else can match at the moment, certainly in the heavyweight division. If this was Fury’s final boxing match, then he will most definitely be missed. Yet in a way, it would be fitting for Fury to once more mark himself out from the crowd and walk away from boxing despite the riches he can still make from it. A match with either Usyk or Joshua could earn Fury as much as 100 million pounds. But Fury gives the impression that he is tired of dealing with the constant petty politics that comes with dealing with Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn.

While Tyson was brilliant, when looking at Dillian Whyte’s performance, one does have to wonder whether all the preflight shenanigans, such as Whyte refusing to take part in the fight promotional press conferences and the long-running row regarding the cut of his purse, ended up hurting Dillian rather than Fury. ‘The Body Snatcher’ never seemed as fired up, as you would expect for someone finally getting the chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship. Even on his ring entrance, the challenger seemed strangely subdued and almost drained. One also has to question the tactics that Whyte used during the fight. It seemed Dillian's best chance of victory was to try and land one of his big shots. Yet too often he was trying to box with Tyson rather than drag him into a toe-to-toe war. In the end, Whyte seemed to find Tyson too strong as well as too fast and skillful.

Ultimately Whyte did not look like a challenger who believed that he could win. Something which was betrayed by his pre-fight behavior.

As the dust settles on Saturday night it seems that Dillian Whyte is attempting to excuse his defeat with some bizarre claims, the like of which even Deontay Wilder would have been embarrassed to attempt. In the end, it seems that the hapless Whyte (after receiving a career-high purse for a world title fight that he didn’t deserve) is unable to even be a graceful loser.

Fury has done more than enough in and out of the ring to deserve a long and happy retirement. He has battled back from mental health and substance abuse issues which put him in such a state that many found it laughable when he announced his comeback. Incredibly, what a comeback it has been, despite those who still doubted him (including right up to Saturday’s fight!). Tyson has fought back from being a mental and physical wreck to undoubtedly the number one heavyweight in the world and the best heavyweight of his generation. A victory over either Usyk or Joshua would mean little now in the grand scheme of things. Neither man seems to be a true threat to Fury.

Fury has many other opportunities away from boxing, whether it is as an actor, trainer, or even a promoter. It would be sad to see him make the mistake of so many others by staying too long. There will always be more challengers and fights to take. In the end, too many great fighters find themselves ground down by it all until they are beaten and defeated.

Carry on being different Tyson and walk away now.

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Gennady Golovkin Defeats Murata and Chases His Stolen Greatness

By Peter Silkov

Writer at The Boxing Glove

Gennady Golovkin overcame 16 months of ring rust and the encroaching shadow of father time, to stop Ryota Murata in 9 rounds on Saturday night. This win adds Murata’s WBA belt to the IBF title belt which he already held. The victory reignited GGG’s career, making him a ‘unified champion’ now that he holds two world middleweight title belts, but this fight was for a lot more than the increasingly random and frustrating world boxing belts. Murata held the ‘super’ WBA world championship belt, but then the WBA has a long record of being able to come up with seemingly never-ending variations of the world championship belt, from, interim, to regular, and silver to super. In reality, the belts were an afterthought, this was GGG making his first appearance in the ring after 16 months of inactivity, against an opponent who figured to be a worthy test. Fighting just one day after his 40th birthday, Golovkin was seeking to prove that he is still a relevant force in the division that he once dominated so thoroughly, that many top contenders spent their whole careers avoiding him. It's difficult to remember another world champion in recent times (aside from Guillermo Rigondeaux) who was reduced to chasing his challengers rather than having his challengers chase him.

Despite having a fan-friendly style, which has made him one of the most popular and exciting fighters of his era, Golovkin struggled to find big names willing to share the ring with him. Perhaps this was because, as well as being exciting, GGG was also destructive. Devastatingly destructive.

Canelo made GGG wait about 5 years before he finally agreed to face him in the ring. Following a prolonged and acrimonious build-up during which Canelo played a good impersonation of a blushing bride as he hedged and dodged fighting GGG until Golovkin was 35 and already showing some signs of slipping from his formidable peak. In his contest, prior to the first Canelo match, GGG had been taken the full 12 rounds for the first time during his title reign after a lackluster performance against Daniel Jacobs. Canelo’s management had bided their time masterfully.

The record books will tell you that on September 16th, 2017, Golovkin and Canelo fought each other to a spirited 12-round draw. Then, almost exactly one year later to the day, the two men met in a rematch with Canelo winning a majority decision, after another highly charged encounter. The truth though, as many well-versed boxing followers will tell you, is something rather different from what is on the record books.

To start with, very few, (including Canelo’s usually fanatical fan-base) believed that the first fight should have been anything other than a clear decision win for GGG. Though the fight was competitive, GGG won many rounds clearly and dominated with his heavier punching and higher activity. Yet not for the first time (nor the last, unfortunately) the fight turned out to be judged by the three blind mice. Even the one card that voted for GGG was far too close. If the judging of the first fight was bad, the rematch wasn’t much better. This time the fight was genuinely closer, with GGG’s superior strength from 12 months earlier having noticeably waned. Was this due to the encroachment of age (GGG was by now already 36 years old) was there some other reason for Canelo’s sudden increase in strength? The whole Mexican meat episode is well known now, yet safely swept under the carpet by most fans and the media, but the difference in Canelo’s performance in the space of one year may still be more telling than some would like to imagine.

The decision itself was again judged unjust by the majority of the crowd and even Canelo’s usually die-hard fans greeted the verdict with boos. Canelo had his ‘victory’ and that’s all that mattered in the history of this gravy machine. Already there were signs that Canelo could never be beaten on points. Certainly not in front of his fans at the T. Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Four years on, and memories fade fast in boxing, especially when they are inconvenient. The well-crafted and expertly guided cash cow has been maneuvered into world titles at two more weights since his second match with GGG and is now regularly hailed by many in the press as p4p number one in the world. He is even feted as the greatest fighter ever produced by Mexico. GGG meanwhile has been left chasing shadows, trying to recapture the glory that should have been his but was cruelly taken from him, not once but twice.

Imagine if Golovkin had officially won those fights against Canelo, imagine if he had won even one of them? His career trajectory, his standing in the sport, would be so much different today.

GGG is not bitter, he doesn’t whine about the Canelo fights, yet he has spoken strongly about his treatment by the judges of both those fights and how he believes that he was robbed of victories twice.

Canelo made GGG wait for 5 years before their first fight; he has now made him wait for four years for their 3rd meeting. Turns out GGG fans weren’t wrong when they claimed that Alvarez would never agree to a third fight until Golovkin is past his 40th birthday.

On Saturday night Golovkin entered the ring… one day past his 40th birthday, knowing that a win against Murata may well open the door for that long-awaited 3rd match with career nemesis, Canelo. Soon it became clear that with every fight he has, GGG is now increasingly fighting two opponents whenever he now enters the ring. His physical opponent and that old foe of fighters and athletes throughout history, father time.

Watching GGG now is akin to seeing a classic old rock band performing in their 60s or 70s, (athletes age faster than musicians). The brilliance, which once lit up every performance, has become more of an occasional spark here and there. This might sound harsh, but it is difficult to imagine the GGG of seven or ten years ago being troubled by Murata the way he was on Saturday night.

Murata started the match very strongly and with confidence, which belied his underdog status. To be fair Murata is no spring chicken himself at 36, but the Japanese-born slugger has only had 18 professional contests compared to GGG's 42, and that comparative freshness showed, at least in the early rounds of Saturday night's fight.

From the beginning, it became very clear that this was not the Golovkin of old, but rather an ‘old’ Golovkin. The old ability to take control of the center of the ring was missing as GGG found himself unceremoniously outpunched and outworked by a visibly faster, fresher, and stronger fighter. The action was intense from the beginning, but it was Murata, (who won Olympic Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games) rather than GGG who was forcing the action. When Murata landed the weight of his punches was visible, and on occasion, GGG was visibly moved even shaken, especially by some of his opponent's body shots. Golovkin’s punches on the other hand seemed to be bouncing rather harmlessly off Murata.

The first four rounds of the fight followed the pattern of both men meeting mid-ring and trying to attain domination with a continuous exchange of leather. Though GGG was certainly having his moments, it was Murata who was able to land more often and with more effect and GGG who was finding himself in the uncomfortable position of being put onto the back foot, a position which he has rarely found himself in during his stellar career.

Golovkin was being drawn into that weird twilight zone that older fighters begin visiting more and more often as their careers reach their ends. It is a place where they begin to find themselves slipping out of time with the present, as they face fighters who are suddenly faster and stronger and seem to be moving in a higher gear.

GGG has always been seen as almost the perfect fighting machine, but the GGG machine spent much of the first 4 rounds misfiring. His defense, never his strongest feature, was alarmingly porous at times, as Murata’s punches, especially the right hand, found his time and again. Golovkin's speed, once razor-sharp, has noticeably waned in recent years, but at times against Murata, he seemed a significant half-second or so behind the punching speed of his opponent. Also, of concern was GGG's movement. Though never a fleet-footed mover, GGG used to use economical and swift footwork, which always seemed to have him in the right place at the right time.

On this night though GGG started with legs that seemed almost rooted to the canvas at times. When he did move it was with the heavy hesitancy common to the older fighter.

After four rounds GGG needed to do something to turn the tide in a fight that seemed to be getting harder and harder for him. GGG found that something extra in the 5th round and showed again that extra ingredient that marks out the true champions. The ability to turn a fight around when visibly up against a faster and stronger opponent.

In the fifth round, the GGG machine finally found a higher gear, and his hands started to move with greater speed. The real turning point came midway through the round when a Golovkin punch ripped Murata’s mouthpiece from his mouth, sending it flying across the ring.

From that moment Golovkin had reached out of his personal twilight zone and turned back the clock. From the 5th round on, Golovkin began gaining the upper hand in the action. The battle was still raging toe-to-toe, but now it was GGG who was landing more frequently and beginning to display his wide variety of punches.

With Golovkin in the ascendance, Murata began to slow, as he began to take more and more punishment. Yet Murata’s courage never wavered, and at every point where it looked as if GGG was about to gain overwhelming control, Murata would come back with punches of his own. Yet Murata’s attacks were becoming more tired and desperate as the rounds flew by.

GGG may be faded and past his 40th birthday, but his fitness and determination remain impeccable. This along with his heart and granite chin has much to do with him finally overcoming Murata.

The end finally came in the 9th round, which started as a strong Golovkin round as he opened up seemingly looking for a knockout, Murata withstood a withering attack by GGG, but rather than going down actually launched a brave mid-round counterattack. At one point it looks as if GGG may have shot his bolt and punched himself out trying to finish Murata. However, Golovkin then struck back with a ….. to send Murata spinning down to the deck like a broken doll. It was at this point that Murata’s corner sensibly threw in the towel, just as the referee was waving the fight over. GGG had broken down another challenger.

One could be too critical of Golovkin’s performance, and the truth is that though he is visibly faded in comparison to the GGG of the past, he remains a formidable and brave fighter. Also, there is the aspect of his 16 months of inactivity before this fight and how much of his early frailty was down to ring rust rather than a permanent decline. Murata also deserves credit for his performance and for pushing GGG into such a difficult fight.

This fight underlined that GGG while not the fighting machine of the past remains formidable and with the kind of fitness that would still push the very best at his weight. With this win, GGG has reignited his career, and his visible vulnerability is liable to make him a more attractive prospect to many top fighters.

But what now for Golovkin?

Though there will be several options that GGG could follow right now, one looms large above all the others. As much as he might not want to admit it, and even with two world title belts to his name, GGG is still chasing. He is chasing that elusive 3rd fight with Canelo Alvarez, and a final chance to inflict an official defeat upon the man many feel he has already beaten twice.

photo: dazn

As always with Canelo, nothing is certain until the ‘Golden Goose’ of boxing decides to announce his intentions. Yet it is expected that if he gets past Dmitry Bivol on May 7th, then he will next meet GGG for their long-awaited 3rd fight, sometime around mid-September.

After the second match between Golovkin and Canelo, it was a common joke among some boxing followers (mostly those not blinded by the Canelo media machine!) that Canelo would probably make Golovkin wait until he was past 40 until he got a third match. Ironically that is what seems to be about to happen. Canelo and his team have bided their time masterfully and now GGG seems ripe for the 3rd fight. Still exciting, still a big draw, but certainly a far less dangerous proposition than he was four years ago.

Should GGG even take the third fight with Canelo? He will know now that the chances of gaining a decision over Canelo are beyond slim, even if he is deserving of it, and beyond that, there is only the stoppage route to victory, something which even five years ago GGG wasn’t able to get close to achieving. For all the hype, dodgy judges, and cherry-picking (not to mention other shady stuff) there's no doubting Canelo’s toughness. Whatever may be behind it.

If Golovkin couldn’t stop Canelo 5 years ago, it's highly unlikely that he will be able to stop Canelo today in his present reduced form.

photo: stubhub

What also needs to be taken into account is the likelihood that the 3rd fight will take place at 168 pounds, a weight that will overwhelmingly favour Canelo rather than GGG. Golovkin is currently and has always been a natural 160-pounder(who seldom gains more than ten pounds between fights) rather than someone who comes down from over 190 pounds for his fights as Canelo has always done.

The purpose of a third fight with GGG for Canelo has always been to score a definitive defeat over Golovkin. Hence part of the reason for the long wait between the 2nd and proposed 3rd fights. Canelo has only been interested in fighting GGG again if he was secure in the belief that he could score a non-controversial victory this time. Ideally, he would like to stop or knock out Golovkin.

Canelo still bristles over the controversy surrounding his two matches with Golovkin and would like nothing better than to end the rivalry with a stoppage victory over Golovkin.

Certainly, the Golovkin who struggled with Murata did not look equipped to deal with Canelo at 168 pounds. Sadly the man who was once a feared and much avoided fighting machine now seems very mortal and vulnerable. He is ripe for Canelo to pick for his much-wanted ‘definitive’ victory.

Having followed Golovkin throughout his spectacular career, and after seeing him robbed by the judges twice against Canelo, I would rather not see a reduced GGG fight Canelo a third time at a point in time where it suits no one but Canelo.

After watching Golovkin battle past Murata, even taking into account his ring rust and the ability to improve himself between now and September, it is clear that time has moved on for GGG. Those tools which once made him the best in the world will never be quite as sharp nor so deadly again. A fight between Golovkin and Canelo now would be a poor reflection upon a fair fight between the two in their primes. GGG was already past his prime when Canelo finally fought him for the first time and now he is past the point where he will be a danger to Canelo.

No one knows this more than Canelo and his team which is why the fight is finally being made.

Golovkin is a warrior and the chances are that he will still take the third fight against Canelo despite any advice he may receive to go in a different direction.

Following their fight, GGG visited Murata’s dressing room and gave him back the WBA belt. It was the kind of classy gesture that makes a true champion and gives a fighter the kind of greatness that can't be bought by a crooked judge's scorecard. GGG may never beat Canelo Alvarez officially on paper, but he holds something over Canelo which is perhaps more precious than any victory in the ring. Integrity. It is that, above all else which underlines Golovkin's true greatness.

No cherry-picking can beat that.

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Tyson Fury Vs. Dillian Whyte Preview: Can the Body Snatcher Ruin the Homecoming of The Gypsy King?

By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove 

When Tyson Fury defends his WBC world heavyweight championship against Dillian Whyte, on April 23rd, at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, it will be the biggest heavyweight fight in Britain since the classic match between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno almost 29 years ago. (Ironically, that clash was also for the WBC world heavyweight championship). Having two British fighters facing each other for boxing's biggest prize is an occasion that many British fight fans could only dream about in the not-too-distant past. Indeed, it is a rarity that has only occurred between Bruno and Lewis in modern boxing history. Despite the fact that Britain has found itself, over the past half-decade, in the almost surreal position of being home to the vast majority of the world's top heavyweights. This unlikely domination has seen a portion of the fractured world heavyweight crown being held by either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua since 2015. For a brief time, both Fury and Joshua held all the major world championship belts between them at the same time, and a showdown between the two for the right to be the undisputed champion of the world seemed tantalizingly close. Undoubtedly, if the boxing world wasn't so riven with a mixture of political, financial, and egotistical maneuverings, Britain’s boxing fans would already have seen a colossal match for the undisputed heavyweight crown between two British fighters long before the upcoming April 23rd clash between Fury and Whyte. Arguments inevitably rage on both sides as to who is most at fault for Fury Vs. Joshua not materializing, (hereafter all was a fight which could have been the biggest sports event ever in Britain). Ultimately Joshua's defeat to Alexandra Usyk last year scuppered any plans for a showdown with Fury in the foreseeable future. There seems to be more than a likelihood that the long-anticipated clash will never take place, especially with Fury’s recent statements that the match with Whyte will be his last professional boxing fight.

So we are left with Fury vs. Whyte rather than Fury vs. Joshua, not what was expected or hoped for by many, but a fight that isn’t without the interesting intangibility that may well serve to make it an exciting match.

The fight has already seen a somewhat curious build-up due to Dillian Whyte's bizarre behaviour. Whyte has seemingly taken grave offense at only being given a 20% cut of the fight purse, despite that 20% adding up to be the largest purse of his career (6mil) by a significant way.

In a prolonged hissy fit, more worthy of a Hollywood diva than a professional boxer, Whyte left it until almost the final hour before signing the fight contracts, yet even since signing the contracts, he has continued to complain and seemingly do as much as he could to disrupt the fight. Whyte has continued to rage at almost everything to do with the fight's promotion and has taken the extraordinary step of refusing to take part in the promotional press conferences, which are always part of the run-up to such big fights.

It is an extraordinary situation to have the challenger for the world heavyweight championship refusing to participate in the pre-fight conferences, even to the extent of asking for his image to be removed from the fight's posters!

Is Dillian's behavior simply a rather long and self-indulgent temper tantrum, or is there some kind of method or theory behind his rather childish 'madness'?

Whyte's long time promoter Eddie Hearn has claimed that the 'The Bodysnatcher's behavior, while born out of genuine displeasure at his share of the spoils of the fight, is also at least partly aimed at getting under the champion Tyson Fury's skin and upsetting his mental balance in the run-up to the fight.

However, this seems to be a good exercise of whistling in the wind by Eddie (who seems unable to stop talking about a fight which he claims he is relieved not to be promoting). Indeed, if you can believe that Eddie Hearn is happy not to be playing any part in the biggest heavyweight fight in a British ring this century, then you probably also believe in the tooth fairy and the world is flat.

The truth is that Tyson Fury, after overcoming his widely-known mental health issues in the past, seems to have built up immunity to the various mind games and outside-the-ring intrigues of his fistic opponents. After withstanding the outrageous (and at times libelous) boasts, claims, and insults of Deontay Wilder throughout their now-classic trilogy, it is difficult to envisage Fury being mentally wrong-footed by Dillian Whyte's childish and unprofessional antics. All the indications so far are that Fury is more amused than disturbed by Whyte's own little personal drama show.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, with Dillian becoming 'the invisible challenger' due to his absence from the pre-fight pressers, the promotion of Fury vs. Whyte has become the Tyson Fury show, something which, in all honesty, it was always destined to be.

However, this has done little to dampen the eagerness of the fans to fill Wembley stadium to its full capacity, to witness the 'Gypsy King's homecoming live (the fight will now be watched by a crowd of 94,000, after selling its original allocation of 85,000 tickets in just 3 hours!)

The truth is that Whyte may well have shot himself in the foot with his constant protests and boycott of the press conferences. Despite his high standing in the WBC rankings and popularity on Eddie Hearn's shows, Dillian’s image and status in the wider boxing world remain several levels below Fury's. Whyte remains relatively unknown outside of the UK, while Tyson Fury is now a huge boxing star worldwide.

This fight was Whyte's chance to boost his standing considerably, win or lose, and by deciding not to take part in the fight's promotional machine, Whyte runs the risk of making himself just an afterthought in the fight unless he was to pull off a huge upset and defeat Fury. One does have to wonder about Whyte's state of mind and how confident he is in reality about being able to win the world title. Has Whyte's focus been too much on protesting the terms of his contract rather than concentrating on getting ready to beat Fury inside the ring? Whyte did previously turn down a rematch with Anthony Joshua for the world title at stake back in 2019 due to the purse of 3 million not being enough, with the chance instead falling into the generous lap of Andy Ruiz, and we all know what happened next! Whyte may have lost the best chance he will ever get of being world heavyweight champion on that night.

Of course, if Whyte was to upset Fury, his eccentric antics in the build-up to the match would be hailed as a masterstroke. But does Whyte have any chance of pulling off the upset?

Judging by the formbook, the answer seems to be a resounding, no.
Fury is a faster, stronger, and far more adaptable boxer than Dillian. After being known primarily for his elusive boxing skills earlier in his career, Tyson has shown in recent years that he can also stand his ground and go toe-to-toe with opponents and has dispelled doubts about his ability to punch his weight. In his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, the Gypsy King displayed his versatility by first out-boxing, then out-slugging 'The Bronze Bomber.'

Dillian Whyte, on the other hand, is a bit of a plodder. He is a flat-footed fighter who relies more on his brute strength than his boxing skills to win fights. One comparison which can be drawn between Whyte and Fury is their respective matches against Derek Chisora. Both have fought Chisora twice, but while Fury emerged victorious twice with relative ease, Dillian had to wade through two toe-to-toe slugfests before grabbing a debatable point's decision in their first match, followed by a last gasp knockout win in their rematch. Styles make fights, of course, but Whyte and Fury's respective encounters against Chisora can also be seen as a clue to the difference in levels between Tyson and Dillian. The Gypsy King seems clear to be a level above Whyte.

In truth, Whyte is lucky even to be having this shot at the world title after being knocked out in 5 rounds by the somewhat ancient Alexander Povetkin in his last but one outing. Although Dillian gained revenge in a rematch some five months later, this victory was somewhat tarnished by the aging Povetkin entering the fight after only recently recovering from Covid. Indeed, Whyte has only fought four times since 2019 and has not been overly impressive in his most recent outings. Before his shock knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin on August 22nd, 2020, Whyte had been unimpressive in a 10-round point win over Mariusz Wach, eight-month earlier.

Photo: Dailymail Uk

Although Whyte avenged his sudden, one-punch knockout by Povetkin in their rematch seven months later, the Povetkin he faced in their second fight was a visibly much more faded version of Povetkin, with the muted ‘action’ ending in the 4th round after Povetkin was stopped following a knockdown. Although Whyte gained the victory, it was a difficult fight with which to gauge Whyte's form and judge whether the knockout to Povetkin had left any lasting mark. Indeed, Povetkin had looked as if a strong gust of wind would have knocked him down in this match.

Whyte has not fought since, meaning that when he enters the ring against Fury on April 23rd, (hopefully) it will be his first match in over a year. Certainly not ideal preparation for the biggest fight of your life.

Photo:The Mirror

Yet, as always, in heavyweight boxing, one punch can change everything, and Dillian certainly has the power to spring an upset if Tyson goes into this fight with the wrong attitude. Whyte's best chance of victory is if Fury has entered this match in the wrong frame of mind and is either unmotivated or taking Whyte for granted. This is possible when you have a fighter who is openly talking about retiring as Fury has been in recent weeks. Tyson has talked about retiring numerous times during his career and at one point walked away from the sport when his mental health and addiction problems overwhelmed him. Yet this regular talk of retirement seems to be a method Fury uses to psyche himself up and get himself more motivated for his matches, approaching each one with the attitude that it is his last. This seems to be borne out by the fact that for all his talk of retirement outside the ring, Tyson genuinely enjoys fighting. This was illustrated by Fury at one point exclaiming "I love this" during his match with Otto Wallin when he battled to victory despite a horrendously cut right eye. It was also on display during his three matches with Deontay Wilder when Fury seemed to relish the moments when Wilder had him hurt and coming back from the knockdowns which he suffered in the first and third fights. Indeed, heading into this defense against Whyte, it seems that Tyson is the fighter with the better form. Tyson will be having his second fight in 5 months, and the 3rd fight with Wilder will have taken off the rust that he collected during his most recent run of inactivity.

If the faded Povetkin at 41 can knock out Whyte, then the chances are that the Tyson Fury, who in recent years has begun to punch his weight, can stop Whyte as well.

Whyte has also shown a tendency to tire in the later rounds of fights, while Fury, despite his size, always seems to have good stamina going into later rounds of fights.

This is an intriguing fight and promises to be exciting whatever the outcome. Tyson Fury certainly doesn’t do dull, as he seems to have picked up the habit of providing fans with something dramatic in every fight recently.

Fury may box more in this match than he did in the second and third Wilder fights. Indeed Fury's reflexes and defense showed the rust of over two years of inactivity and preparation, which had been interrupted by a battle with covid and his newborn daughter's illness.

When he faces Whyte, 'The Gypsy King' is likely to be sharper and faster than he was in the final fight with Wilder, and he may well choose to give Whyte a boxing lesson in the early rounds before taking the fight to Wilder more in the later rounds.

Look for Tyson to win this match in an impressive fashion, in around 7 to 9 rounds. This is The Gypsy King's homecoming (and possibly even his final fight), in front of a record-breaking crowd, and he will be determined to win with an emphatic victory.

However, you can never dismiss a heavyweight with a decent punch, and Whyte is likely to have his moments in this fight, especially if Fury chooses to take the fight to Dillian early on. Fury will need to be sharp to stay away from Whyte's left hook and dangerous right hand, but if Tyson decides to box early he will most likely give Whyte a boxing lesson. Eventually, Fury's extra speed and strength will see him take over and wear down Whyte, and then we will see him start to pile on the pressure until the end comes with Whyte either counted out or stopped exhausted on his feet after about 7 to 9 rounds.

Whyte is likely about to find out that it will take more than some off-the-wall protests and a promotional strike to push Tyson Fury off his game plan. Fury has shown through his trilogy with Deontay Wilder that he has emerged from his much-publicized mental health issues and inactivity from the ring with a newfound mental strength, which will be more than enough to handle the kind of childish mind games that Dillian Whyte and his team seem to be employing. Indeed, just weeks away from fight night, Dillian's lawyer seems to be indicating that there is still a doubt over whether Whyte will take part in the fight. One wonders whether Whyte wants to fight for the world heavyweight championship at all; if he does, he has a very strange way of showing it at the moment.

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