By Scott Gilfoid: Tyson Fury is still looking VERY fat in training for the late April title defense of his WBC heavyweight strap against mandatory Dillian Whyte.
This is how it happens. A fighter captures a world title, makes a truckload of money, and then lets themselves go by eating high on the hog and watching the telly. Fury’s net worth is estimated at $30 million, and he’s clearly been letting himself go.
ForFury’ssake, hopefully, he gets his hunger back and loses the weight in time for his April defense against the upset-minded Whyte.
Judging by the huge spare tire around Fury’s waist, he appears to be in the 290+lbs region and very far away from the mid-240s, he weighed during the zenith of his carer in 2015.
In a video clip posted on Tuesday of Fury working out with a smaller fighter, you could see a visible potbelly on him, virtually unchanged from a month ago when he was working out with Joseph Parker.
It’s anyone’s guess as to why Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) isn’t shedding the pounds, but he’s running out of time to prepare for his title defense against Whyte(28-2, 19 KOs).
If Fury is under the impression that he can go into his fight with Whyte as fat as he is now or as chubby as he was for his last defense against Deontay Wilder, he’s kidding himself.
Whyte will take advantage of Fury’s flabby midsection by dropping him and then finishing him off once he gets back to his feet.
Hearn: Whyte has a great shot of winning
“I do. I think he’s a tremendous puncher,” said Eddie Hearn to TalkSport about his belief that Dillian Whyte can beat Fury. “He’s a big, strong, rugged heavyweight.
“Tyson Fury, coming off the [Deontay] Wilder fight, he was down twice in that fight,” said Hearn. “Wilder is a big puncher, of course, and Fury is at the moment the best heavyweight in the world.
“Dillian Whyte can beat all the heavyweights on his night, and he has the equalizer. He’s a tremendous body puncher, and he has a left hook that will turn your lights out as well.
“Fury is the favorite going into the fight, there’s no doubt about that. I think Dillian Whyte is a real live dog in that fight. What it comes down to as well is Tyson Fury’s hunger still.
“He’s very hungry on Instagram, but when it comes down to it, how much do you want it? But Dillian wants it bad, and I think he’s got a great shot in that fight,” said Hearn.
It’s not surprising that Hearn is sounding so upbeat about Whyte’s chances of winning the fight with Fury, because he’s obviously seen how out of shape he’s looking.
Hearn’s scouts are likely giving him detailed updates on Fury’s poor condition, and he’s gleeful about the news. In an interview today, Hearn looked over the moon in talking about Whyte’schances of victory.
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Fury vs. Whyte does 1.2M buys says, Davies
“700,000 to 800,000 buys,” said Gareth A. Davies to iFL TV when asked how many PPV buys Fury vs. Whyte will generate on BT Sport Box Office.
“If they really promote the hell out of it with a press tour, that could get more people. If things happen that they do that pushes it out further into the mainstream. If enough marketing behind it.
“The other way I think they could go and it wouldn’t surprise me is if they got Sky Sports Box Office involved as well and shared it with BT Sport, and then you could promote through both channels.
“I think you could get close to 1.2 million if you had both broadcasters involved [for the Fury vs. Whyte fight]. BT Sport and Sky Sports Box Office. Why not? I know behind-the-scenes, they’ve talked about it.
“Dillian Whyte is now promoted for this fight by Queensbury and Top Rank. Bob Arum and Frank Warren, they won the bid with 41 million dollars. I believe the money is in escrow now, the $4 million. The deposit is in escrow. It’s there. There’s no issue with that.
“I believe we’re going to get a press conference. Frank Warren told me late this week, but there are a few wrangling between the promoters for things that are still outstanding. So it looks like it’s going to move even further, but the fight is going to be signed and it’s going to be one
“It’s the three or four biggest names in the sport, they are heavyweights, it’s the biggest paydays, it’s the biggest fight nights, the most money generated, the biggest audiences, all outside Canelo, of course.
“So there was bound to be wrangling. You could not get those people around the table. It would be WAR to get them around the table. I’m surprised that there wasn’t more dirty linen aired in public.
“They all came out, they all blamed each other. It was Fury’s fault, and Joshua asked for too much. They tried to get it on [the step aside deal for Joshua and Whyte], and it was a bit of a circus with three-step asides. It didn’t work,” said Davies.
1.2 million PPV buys are possible for Fury-Whyte if BT Sport and Sky Sports Box Office work together on this fight. Will they do that? Gilfoid doubts it.
Undisputed Championship at end of year
“They got the three fights that we are going to get now,” Davies said. “Eddie Hearn told me that Joshua – Usyk is going to be announced in the next couple of weeks. They’re looking at Wembley Stadium and they’re looking at some places in London.
“It’s going to be a big event, and that’s going to be in May. Either in late April or two fights in May. It’s going to be enormous for the heavyweight division again, and hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll get this heavyweight undisputed title.
“It’s all bygone now, it’s in the past what happened over those three or four months of negotiations. Joshua has made his decision [to take the fight].
“Eddie Hearn is probably gutted that he didn’t win the purse bid because he could have had control.
“But the old school won it. Frank Warren won it. Bob Arum won it. They are the old school. I’m glad we have these two heavyweight fights,” said Davies.
There will be an undisputed fight in late2022, but it might not be with the two that boxing fans are hoping to see. Gilfoid is predicting that the last two standing will be Oleksandr Usyk and Whyte.
In other words, Joshua and Fury will be weeded out. I don’t know. Maybe they can have a losers bracket or something with those two.
