By Scott Gilfoid: Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte (22-1, 16 KOs) says his fight with former WBA heavyweight champion Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne (25-0, 22 KOs) is done for March 24 at the O2 Arena in London, UK. However, there still hasn’t been an official announcement by Whyte’s promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport to confirm this news.
The fact that Whyte is talking about it in excited terms, it suggests that it’s going down.
”Finally I get to smash up the tattooed [expletive] Lucas Browne on 24th March at the O2 @eddieHearn. I really am looking forward to it. #WhyteBrowne,” said Whyte on his Twitter.
Whyte was previously going to fight on February 3, but with the slow progress in finding him an opponent, he had to move off that date for the March 24th date. Cruiserweight prospects Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain are now headlining the February 3 date, which is kind of mind-boggling to be honest. That’s not a good fight to be headlining a career in my opinion.
Browne says the contracts still need to be completed before the Whyte fight is a done deal, but it sounds like he’s ready to get in there and face him.
”There’s a few things to sort out first, like a contract for starters, but I’m looking forward to seeing Dillian Whyte all tangled up again. #sleepingonthejob,” said Lucas Browne on his Twitter.
Browne was waiting to find out what WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker was planning on doing for his next fight. Browne was the backup option for the 25-year-old Parker if he couldn’t get the unification fight with IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Now that Browne is apparently fighting Whyte on March 24, it means that the Joshua-Parker fight is ready to be announced. Browne wouldn’t give up on the Parker fight if he wasn’t fighting Joshua next.
This is a 50-50 fight, as far as I’m concerned. The 38-year-old Browne is far from being a top level heavyweight, but he’s still a big puncher, and Whyte obviously is little more than a slapper. Whyte looked Bad in his last fight a past his best Robert Helenius on October 28 in Cardiff, Wales.
Helenius had Whyte hurt in the 2nd round after hitting him with one of the few punches he threw in the fight.
Browne has fought only once since stopping WBA World heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev in the 10th round last year in March. Browne was suspended after that fight for testing positive for a banned substance. After coming off more than a year long layoff, Browne stopped journeyman Matthew Greer (16-20) in the 2nd round on June 2.