By Barry Holbrook: Dave Allen and Matthew Hatton are picking WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to do the job against Dillian Whyte on April 23rd in their fight at a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Like many, Allen and Hatton feel that Fury is on another level talent-wise to the shopworn 34-year-old Whyte, who was knocked out in the fifth round by a then healthy 41-year-old Alexander Povetkin in their first fight in 2020.
Dillian has done a lot of complaining in recent years about not being given an opportunity to challenge for a world title, but now he’s finally good the chance to prove himself.
If he fails to raise his game on April 23rd, he’s going to get outboxed by Fury and put in a position where he may never get another title shot.
You’ve got to believe that Whyte won’t have any favors done for him if he loses this fight by other promoters showing interest in matching their fighters against him.
Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) has done a good job of playing mind games by choosing not to take part in helping promote his fight against Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs), but that’s not going to help him inside the ring.
It would have been better for Whyte to help raise his profile by showing off his personality during the build-up so that more boxing fans will be interested in watching his future fights if he comes out as the loser.
Fury better than Dillian in every department
“No, I think Tyson Fury is on another level completely than Dillian Whyte,” said Dave Allen to BBTV Boxing. “Dillian Whyte is a good fighter. He’s very good. Dillian Whyte doesn’t get credit for the career he’s already had.
“Just because he hasn’t won that world title, people think [he’s not done well]. He’s beaten Browne, he’s beaten Parker, he’s beaten Helenius. He’s had a brilliant career, but I think there’s a lot of wear & tear on him, to be honest.
“I think Fury is the freshmen man at this point, which is a mad thing to say. I think Tyson is too big, he moves too well and hits too hard. I don’t think there’s a department that Dillian Whyte is better in, which makes it a difficult task for him.
“Dillian Whyte is probably the fifth or sixth best heavyweight on the planet. But when you’re in with the #1, who I perceive to be a lot clearer, being #5 or #6 is a steep jump. I wish them both all the best. I hope it’s a good fight,” said Allen of the Fury vs. Whyte contest on April 23.
Whyte is a good slugger, but he’s getting up there in age at 34, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever get another world title shot if he doesn’t take advantage of this one against Fury.
Hatton picks Fury over Whyte
“It’s a good heavyweight fight, and Dillian Whyte has been waiting so long for this big fight and big night, which he fully deserves,” said Matthew Hatton to BBTV Boxing.
“A few years ago, he was a real handful, and I think he still is. I think we’ve seen a few signs of wear & tear with Dillian. I’ve seen him in both [Alexander] Povetkin fights, which I watched up close.
“He’s dangerous, of course, but I struggle to think how he beats Tyson. Again, you never know with the heavyweight division, but I fancy Tyson Fury quite strongly to win that fight.
“It’s going to be a great night, big-ticket numbers, a great atmosphere. It’ll be a good fight, but I can only see one winner. I think Tyson will stop him in the middle rounds,” said Hatton.
