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.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheBoxingGlove and  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theboxingglove

If you are an boxer, amateur or professional, and want us to follow you or tell your story, contact petersilkov@yahoo.com   or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

If you are an author and you would like your book reviewed, contact Peter Silkov at petersilkov@yahoo.com or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

Carl Froch vs. George Groves Part 2: The Cobra Bites Back

By Peter Silkov

Carl Froch (33-2, 24koes) retained his WBA and IBF World super-middleweight titles against challenger George Groves (19-2, 15koes) for the second time last night, May 31.  Victory came with a spectacular and conclusive finish that left no room for doubt, or debate, unlike the controversial finish to their first match last year. 

Fighting in front of a post WW2 record-breaking crowd of 80,000, at London’s Wembley Stadium, Froch produced the kind of performance, which the great champions are able to pull out when the chips are down, and the odds seem to be stacked against them.  After being written off by many in the run up to this rematch, with everything from his age, technical deficiencies,  to his trainer, being analysed in a negative light, ’The Cobra’ struck back last night to prove all his doubters wrong, and underline once and for all what an outstanding fighter he truly is.

Britain may have produced cleverer, faster, and more athletically gifted boxers than Froch in the past, but there have been few fighters from this country who have been better warriors than ’The Cobra’, in the post WW2 years. Carl Froch has a toughness and warrior mentality that renders things, like superior speed and technique, obsolete.  

 Both fighters entered the ring to the kind of fanfare that seems to be almost obligatory at big occasions such as this.  While Froch’s entrance seemed well balanced, the challenger Groves journey to the ring, (which included an old-fashioned double decker London bus) seemed to be over long, and possibly draining. There had been some talk in the run up to Saturday’s match that Groves, acting as his own manager and promoter, was spreading himself too thin. Today, only Groves will know the answer as to whether all the meetings and public appearances had any bearing upon his performance last night, but one thing for certain is that Froch prepared for this fight with a monkish focus and dedication, and the result of this was clear in his performance on the night. Whereas, Froch fought the first fight against Groves with the harassed and frantic air of a desperate man, last night, he had a focus and a serenity, which never totally left him, even during the challenger’s best moments of the night.

The fight began accompanied by the roar of 80,000 fans; a sound that few modern day fighters will ever experience.  If the fans were anticipating a 1st round explosion, similar to that seen in the first clash between these two men, then they were in for a disappointment, as each boxer started out cautiously, circling each other, and working behind the jab. Groves had stated in the run up to this fight that he would win the rematch by a 3rd round knockout, but he started much more cautiously than he had last November, concentrating on landing his spearing left jab, and barely throwing the right hand, which had Froch down in the 1st round of their first fight. Meanwhile, Froch was cautious, yet, already noticeably sharper than he had been in the previous meeting, and crucially this time, instead of blindly going after the challenger from the start, ’The Cobra’ was working his own jab. Yet, Groves still edged the opening round as his own jabs landed quicker and cleaner than the champion’s did.

As the second round began to unfold, it became clear that this rematch was following the pattern of many such rematches of the past, where, despite all of the well-publicized dislike between the two fighters, both men were taking into the ring a healthy amount of respect for the others fighting prowess, and boxing a cautious, technical fight.  At one point, a clinch resulted in an exchange of rabbit punches, before Groves was forcibly pushed to the floor by the champion. Froch was warned by the referee, Charlie Fitch, but had shown his challenger that he is going to be the boss in the ring this time. It is an almost insignificant incident, but at the start of a contest of intense physicality, such incidences can prove important.

The action continued and Froch’s jab was already working far better than at anytime during the pairs first encounter.  Groves, still edging the round with his own left-hand, which was faster and more frequent, but Froch, his chin tucked into his chest, and his right hand up as a guard, rides and blocks a good many of Groves punches. Groves sealed the round by landing a good left hook near the round’s end, but this was developing into a technical joust for the purist, rather than the kind of barnburner that many were hoping to see.

The 3rd round unfolds in much the same way as the first two stanza’s, with both men fencing with their jabs, and daring the other to make the first move, which could be turned into a mistake. The crowd at this point began to boo, indicating that like many such crowds, it was made up more of people looking for a night’s entertainment, rather than a night of good boxing. As if in reply to the audience’s displeasure, Froch, always the crowd-pleaser, though too often unappreciated, launched forward, and landed a left-right combination upon Groves, who replied with punches of his own.  It is the first real explosion of the fight and the audience, in all their fickleness, responded with a roar.  Both men go back to their jabs, and Froch’s left is visibly upsetting the rhythm of his challenger, while Groves’ jab has reddened ‘The Cobra‘s generous nose.  There was no sign of Groves even attempting to fulfil his pre-fight prediction of a 3rd round knockout, and although he might have won his third round in a row, he is edging the opening rounds, rather than dominating them, and this is not the ideal strategy against a slow starter such as Froch. 

After all of the talk about Groves needing to pace himself for 12 rounds and box, rather than brawl this time round, the challenger had perhaps held back too much in these opening rounds and allowed Froch to fight at his own pace and work himself into the match.     

    

Froch was visibly more relaxed in the 4th round, as if conscious that the fight is following a different pattern to the one last November, a pattern that is favouring him.  Groves was not putting enough pressure onto the champion, and in this round begins to find himself under more pressure himself as ’The Cobra’ begins to dominate the centre of the ring, and is out-jabbing his challenger for much of the round. Groves skirts the outside of the ring pot-shotting, while there was a better flow about the champion’s work.  Groves returned to his corner at the end of the round with a look of frustration about him.

Groves started the 5th round with two stabbing lefts, which fail to land clearly. Froch landed a good right hand and a left hook, which drove Groves into a corner, where he landed some punches to Groves’s body, before the challenger fought his way out. Groves retaliated with punches of his own, but took a combination to the body and the action heats up.  Both men exchange right hands towards the end of the round, but it is Froch who has held his ground in the centre of the ring, while Groves was forced to maneuver around him. 

In the 6th round, Froch seemed to taking control of the match. Starting the round fast, he drove his challenger into the ropes with a left-right to the head, then switches to the body.  Moving back into the middle of the ring, the two exchanged jabs, with both falling a little short of the target. The last forty seconds of the round found Groves driven onto the ropes twice by Froch attacks, as the champion finished the round on the front foot.  

The challenger came out for the 7th round with more

purpose, landing a good jab and then, moments later, a straight left that drove Froch back onto his heels. The champion looked momentarily shaken as Groves threw the left hand now with more venom, catching Froch flush.  Another left, later in the round, provoked Froch to drive his challenger into the ropes, where he unleashed a two-fisted attack upon Groves’ body, but it is the challenger’s round, just at the point where it looked as if Froch was in command of the fight.

Groves tried to carry over his good work of the previous round in the 8th, as he was noticeably more aggressive and continued to fire his jabs with increased intent. Froch looked a little ragged, as Groves tagged him with jabs, and the occasional right hand.  However, the champion stood his ground, while at the same time, not retaliating recklessly. Groves looked more and more confident as the round progressed, as Froch continued to march forward, taking shots, but landing some good body shots of his own.  Most crucially perhaps, Froch was still keeping the centre of the ring. 

With thirty seconds left in the round, as Groves is maneuvered into the ropes, Froch threw a right hand over a Groves’ left hook, and connected to the side of the challenger’s jaw.  It was as potent a single punch as you will ever see, and Groves was out before he landed flat on his back upon the canvas, with his left leg twisted grotesquely underneath him.  Referee Charlie Fitch, who proved to be a good pick for the third man in the ring, waved the fight off without a count. Somehow, Groves, his fighting instincts impressively strong until the last, dragged himself upright, but only to fall onto the referee, then stagger into his own corner, where he collapsed into the arms of his trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick. It was all over for the challenger.

Meanwhile, Froch was being held aloft by his brother and acclaimed by the crowd, his destiny fulfilled, and his legacy as one of Britain’s greatest modern day boxers assured. It was the kind of explosive ending, that would satisfy any crowd of 80,000, and there were no controversies or doubts left this time.

After the fight, both boxers proved that despite their much-publicized acrimony, each retains the class of true sportsmanship. There were no excuses from George Groves, and Froch praised his challenger, while citing his victory as the greatest of his career.

With the challenge of George Groves behind him, Carl Froch can pick his own path from here.  Although another domestic challenge, in the shape of James Degale, seems to be looming, ’The Cobra’ may choose to travel to America and Las Vegas, to end his career in a multimillion dollar showdown with someone such as Andre Ward, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., or perhaps Gennady Golovkin.

For George Groves, last nights defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, especially in light of the pre-fight talk and predictions, which seemed to be as much as a burden to him in the rematch, as they were a help in the first fight.  Defeats such as these usually prove to be either the making or the breaking of a young fighter. Groves certainly has the talent to move on from here, but may have to learn some hard lessons from this defeat if he is to fulfil his potential in the future.

The night belonged to ’The Cobra’ who showed a crowd of 80,000 (and millions more on TV) what it takes to be a true champion.    

Copyright © 2014 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com