By Charles Brun: Dillian Whyte intrigued by the news of Deontay Wilder showing interest in fighting him next in early 2021, but he says that the former heavyweight champion must “dance to my tune” for it to happen.
Interestingly, Dillian imagines himself calling the shots for a fight with Wilder. Whyte is unknown to American boxing fans, and he’s never won a world title.
Additionally, Dillian was knocked out in his last fight against 41-year-old Alexander Povetkin. Yes, Wilder is coming off of a knockout loss as well, but that was against Tyson Fury, not a fading 41-year-old Povetkin.
Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) is in mediation to get a third match against Fury, but he wants to take a tune-up fight if things don’t go his way. That’s where Whyte, 32, comes in. The chances are, Wilder will end p needing an opponent for early 2021.
It could be Whyte, as long as he’s not harboring a major grudge due to Wilder not giving him a title shot when he held the WBC belt between 2015 and 2020.
But it’s premature for Wilder to be looking in Dillian’s direction because he’s facing Alexander Povetkin in a rematch next year on January 30th.
We don’t know who’s going to win that fight between Whyte and Povetkin. You have to look at Povetkin winning based on the results of their previous fight.
Whyte wants to be A-side for Wilder
“If he fights me, it’s the only way he’s going to make any form of decent money. Tyson Fury is not fighting him,” said Whyte to Sky Sports. “Deontay Wilder is not a big draw at all.
“[If] I beat Povetkin, and I’ll be chasing a world title. He [Wilder] needs to dance to my tune. I want to beat the guy up, to be honest with you.
“When I was the challenger, I went through hell trying to get him [Wilder] to man up to fight me, and he wouldn’t fight me, so I’m going to chase the world title,” said Dillian.
It sounds like Whyte wants no part of a fight against Wilder, and I can’t blame him. If Whyte beats Povetkin, he’ll be the WBC mandatory challenger once again.
That means he’ll eventually get a title shot against Fury or whoever ends up with the WBC belt after he faces Anthony Joshua. It would be an insane move by Whyte to take on the KO artist Wilder if he beats Povetkin in January.
Dillian (27-2, 18 KOs) is bitter and more than a little jaded from his experience of waiting for several years for a title shot when Wilder held the WBC title.
Dillian’s recent blunder in choosing to fight Povetkin last summer cost him his WBC mandatory spot when he got sparked out in the fifth round.
“I’m sure the British people and the American fans would love to see me knock him out,” said Whyte of Wilder.
Whyte’s punch resistance might not be up to snuff for him to survive for long against a puncher like Wilder. It’s bad enough Whyte is hurriedly getting back in the ring with Povetkin after the knockout he suffered.
Nelson: Wilder is too dangerous
Nelson: Wilder is too dangerous“Now he realizes he’s in the ‘who needs him club’ because nobody needs him because he’s not a mandatory challenger, he’s not a titleholder, so why on earthy would anyone want to get in with him?” said Johhny Nelson about Wilder.
“He’s the biggest punching heavyweight out there. I agree that he’s taken on fights that nobody else wanted. I respect him for taking on the [Luis] Ortiz fight.
“He’s too dangerous. So now, all of a sudden, he’s calling out Dillian Whyte, whereas before he said, ‘Dillian, you do this, this and this, and I might give you a shot.’ Now, he’s shouting out Dillian Whyte.
“If he truly believes that can happen, I’m quite sure Dillian Whyte will give him what he wants because he saw him [Whyte] get turned over by Povetkin. ‘I’ll take that fight there.’
“He’s [Wilder] in fear of being shutout because fighters would prefer not to fight him and carry on their quest to become a world champion, and not have to fight him,” said Nelson.
Johnny sees things clearly, and he understands that Wilder is too dangerous for Whyte right now. If Whyte somehow can avenge his loss to Povetkin, he needs to get in line and wait for his title shot against Fury.
There would be more interest in the UK in a fight between Whyte and Fury than with Dillian facing Wilder coming off of a loss.
Johnny doubts Deontay will fight again
“I’m sure the promoters and the TV companies with some of the accusations and things he said, his guy answers to nobody as far as he’s concerned,” said Nelson. “He’s the boss; he’s the king.
“So he’s in fear of locking himself out. So now his way in is Dillian Whyte. I’m not sure why it’s not Povetkin [that Wilder is calling out] because Povetkin beat Dillian Whyte. But it’s Dillian Whyte.
“And so whatever intimidating tactics he comes out with, Dillian Whyte can match that tenfold. We know that Dillian Whyte would be up for that in a heartbeat. But you’ve got to look at the business side.
“Some people say, ‘We don’t need him. Shut him out. This is about Dillian’s pride. Now you’re begging me, and I’m ignoring you.
“He’s [Wilder] freezing them out [Frank Warren], and now they’re thinking, ‘We don’t have to deal with you.’ I’m sure that after that interview, his American counterparts are thinking, ‘This guy is delusional. I’m surprised by him saying that.
“That’s why I’m saving; I’ll be surprised if he fights again. Unless Wilder puts his own show on and pays the fighter to fight him, I will be surprised because people think, ‘I don’t want to fight you. I don’t have to fight you. You’re too dangerous.’
“He’s put himself in the position where he’s shut his own door and thrown away his own key.
“Of course, it’s a good fight, it’s a really good fight,” Nelson said about Wilder vs. Whyte. “Whyte is close to a world title. What bragging rights what he could in beating Deontay Wilder, a former world champion. Tyson Fury has already turned him over twice. Looking at Dillian’s character, I can see him going for it,” said Nelson.
Of course, Wilder is going to fight again. What kind of nonsense is Nelson spouting. With the kind of money Wilder can make fighting Fury or Joshua, he’s definitely going to continue his career in early 2021.