Home Boxing News Dillian Whyte demands world title shot ahead of unification bout

Dillian Whyte demands world title shot ahead of unification bout

Dillian Whyte and Eddie Hearn. Photo credit: Reuters

Heavyweight Dillian Whyte 27-1 (18) says he has asked the WBC to step in and stop a proposed unification bout between Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) and Anthony Joshua 23-1 (21) later this year.

The Brixton Body Snatcher has been the leading contender in the WBC’s rankings for a number of years, but the Mexican-based sanctioning body recently said the holder of the green belt will have until February 2021 to face their mandatory.

The 31-year-old Whyte, who faces Russian veteran Alexander Povetkin at Manchester Arena on May 2, claims he should be facing the winner of the third fight between WBC champ Fury and Wilder in July instead of the victor lining up a fight with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Joshua in December.

“Wilder and Fury do not even need a rematch, but I understand it is contractual,” Whyte said to the Mirror. “But the winner of that third fight should be fighting me.

“There should be no undisputed fight ahead of me and that’s what we’re trying to work on with the WBC to try to put something in place to avoid that happening.

“I’ve paid my dues and I don’t want to be fighting for a world title when I’m 36.

“I want to fight for it now, win it and defend it until I am 36 or 37 before running off into the night.”

Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum insists they won’t be rushed into a fight with Whyte, who will have to wait until two months into the new year to get his long-overdue world title shot.

Whyte says he still has faith in his promoter Eddie Hearn to deliver the fight, even though the Matchroom Boxing boss also looks after Joshua.

“Eddie is Joshua’s promoter too and he’s obviously bigger than me at the minute so I understand that,” he said.

“We’re his number one and number two heavyweights, but things can change very quickly in this division, as you saw in June last year.

“I pulled Eddie up when I saw him before, but he didn’t say much. Eddie is a businessman.

“It annoys me off sometimes, but when we do business, we do great business and he’s saying all the right things for now.”