By Max Schramm: Eddie Hearn states that Dillian Whyte is ready to fill in as a replacement opponent for Deontay Wilder to fight on July 24th after Tyson Fury was forced to pull out due to COVID-19.
None of this makes sense. Whyte has nothing to gain by fighting Wilder and vice versa.
It appears that Hearn is using Fury’s illness as a way of getting some cheap publicity ploy for Whyte by saying that he’s ready to step in and face Wilder on July 24th.
Dillian isn’t going to risk losing his WBC mandatory status again for the second year in a row. He was knocked out by Alexander Povetkin in the fifth round last year at the Matchroom Fight Camp.
Although Whyte avenged the loss last March, he did it with Povetkin coming off a COVID-19 illness.
Whyte would likely refuse
If Wilder called Hearn’s bluff, he’d likely explain that Whyte can’t be ready by July 24th because he needs more time. The reality is, Whyte would be risking his WBC mandatory position if he were to fight Wilder, and he’s not going to risk that because it’s his golden ticket.
The money that Whyte will make fighting for a world title will be much more than he’ll get as the B-side opponent for Wilder.
Wilder has no reason to agree to a lower-paying fight against Whyte because his title shot against WBC heavyweight champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) will likely be postponed until September or October.
Hearn says Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) had planned on fighting at the end of August, but he’s ready to step in to fight former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) in the main event on pay-per-view on July 24th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It would be a risky move for both Whyte and Wilder to fight each other, as the loser of the clash would miss out on a massive payday fighting for a world title.
As for Whyte, he’s already the WBC mandatory challenger, so it makes little sense for him to risk that by fighting Wilder.
Whyte, 32, will get a big payday when he challenges the WBC title against whoever holds the belt by next year.
Spoke to @DillianWhyte – he is due to fight end of August but ready to jump in July 24 v Wilder 😎
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) July 8, 2021
Hearn needs to find an opponent for Whyte’s August fight in the U.S. Whyte has already turned down a fight against former IBF champion Charles Martin. He says Jermaine Franklin is a possible opponent for him.
Should Fury be stripped of his WBC title?
All the waiting that Wilder has had to do for his contractual rematch against Fury has taken too long already. The World Boxing Council should step in and do the right thing by stripping Fury of his WBC title and elevating Wilder.
The WBC could give Fury the ‘Champion in Recess tag and let him challenge Wilder for the belt when he eventually recovers from his COVID-19 case.
Fury dragged his feet into giving Wilder his rematch, and the court forced his hand. With two weeks to go before the fight, Fury comes down with COVID-19? It seems fishy.
Is Fury trying to avoid getting knocked out by Wilder? The timing of Fury becoming ill with COVID-19 looks peculiar.