Tyson Fury retained the WBC Heavyweight championship with an one=punch sixth round stoppage over Dillian Whyte in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

In round four, Whyte was cut over his right eye from a headbutt. There was a lot of grappling and both guys had trouble setting a pace.

That all changed in round six as Fury landed a monstrous right uppercut to the chin that knocked Whyte flat on his back. Whyte got to his feet, but wobbled all over the ring and the fight was 2:59.

Fury is now 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts. Whyte is now 28-3.

Fury said, “I’m overwhelmed with the support. I can’t believe that my 94,000 countrymen and women have come here tonight to see my perform. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to every single person who bought a ticket here tonight or stayed up late to watch it on TV.
 
“Dillian Whyte is a warrior. And I believe that Dillian will be a world champion. But tonight, he met a great in the sport. I’m one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. And unfortunately for Dillian Whyte, he had to face me here tonight. There’s no disgrace. He’s a tough, game man. He’s as strong as a bull. He’s got the heart of a lion. But you’re not messing with a mediocre heavyweight. You’re messing with the best man on the planet. And you saw that tonight with what happened.
 
“I think Lennox Lewis could even be proud of the right uppercut tonight.”

Essuman Decisions Tetley

Ekow Essuman scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Darren Tetley in a welterweight bout.

Essuman landed 215 of 795 punches; Tetley was 144 of 691.

Essuman win by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice and is now 17-0. Tetley is 21-3.

Nick Ball Stops Isaac Lowe in 6

Nick Ball remained undefeated by stopping Tyson Fury-stablemate Isaac Lowe in round six of a 10-round featherweight bout.

In round two, Ball dropped Lowe with a big left hook. In round three, Ball was bleeding from the nose. In round four, Lowe was bleeding badly from his left eye.

In round six, with Lowe turned around, Ball drilled Lowe with two hard lefts and the bout was stopped at 1:45

Ball is 15-0 with eight knockouts. Lowe is 21-2-3.

Adeleye stops Healey in 4

David Adeleye stopped Chris Healey in round four of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round four, Adeleye landed a hard left and a big right that forced a referee stoppage at 52 seconds.

Adeleye, 232 lbs of London is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Healey, 282 lbs of England is 9-9.

Tommy Fury defeated Daniel Bocianski via six-round decision in a light heavyweight bout.

In round five, Bocianski was cut over the left eye. Later in the round, Fury landed a big right that put Bocianski on the canvas.

Fury landed 80 of 255 punches; Bocianski was 20 of 159.

Fury, 177 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 8-0. Bocianski, 175 lbs of Poland is 10-2.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Michael Ciach in a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Itauma sent Ciach to the canvas with a hard flurry on the ropes. In round two, Ituma dropped Ciach with an overhand left and the fight was stopped.

Itaima, 175 lbs of Kent, ENG is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Ciach, 175 lbs of Poland is 2-12.

Royston Barney-Smith remained perfect with a four-round decision over Constantin Radoi in a super featherweight bout.

Barney-Smith, 132 lbs of Southampton, ENG won by a 40-36 tally and is now 2-0. Radoi, 132 lbs of Swinton, ENG is 0-11.

Kurt Walker remained undefeated with a four-round decision over Stefan Nicolae in a junior lightweight bout.

Walker of Lisburn, Northern Ireland won by a 40-35 score and is now 2-0. Nicolae is 3-32-2.

Follow all the action as Tyson Fury defends the WBC Heavyweight Title against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in front of over 94,000 people at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The action begins at 1 PM ET / 6 PM UK time with a six-fight undercard

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED. THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1:

ROUND 2 1-2 FROM FURY…Jab…Check hook…Body work from Whyte

ROUND 3 Left from Fury…Jab to body..right behind the jab..Left to body…1-2…Jab..Left uppercut..

ROUND 4 Overhand right from Fury..Fury being admonished for not breaking…Whyte cut over his right eye…Left hook from Whyte…Right from Fury..Grappling in the corner…

ROUND 5 Body shot from Fury…Double jab..Right..Right to body…

ROUND 6 Left Hook to body,,Right to body from Fury…UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES WHYTE….HE WOBBLES..AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 1:

Round 1:

•  Tyson Fury 264.8 vs. Dillian Whyte 253 1/4
(Fury’s WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Titles — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Guido Cavalleri, Juan Carlos Pelayo and Robert Tapper
Referee: Mark Lyson

•   Ekow Essuman 146.5 lbs vs. Darren Tetley 145 3/4 lbs 
(Essuman’s Commonwealth, British and IBF European Welterweight Titles — 12 Rounds)

•   Isaac Lowe 125 1/4 lbs vs. Nick Ball 125.5 lbs 
(Vacant WBC Silver Featherweight Title — 10 Rounds)

•   David Adeleye 232.4 lbs vs. Chris Healey 282 lbs 
(Heavyweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Tommy Fury 177 3/4 lbs vs. Daniel Bocianski 175 lbs 
(Light Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

   •    Karol Itauma 175 3/4 lbs vs. Michael Ciach 175 3/4 lbs
 (Light Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

   •    Royston Barney-Smith 132 lbs vs. Constantin Radoi 132 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight — 4 Rounds)

(OFF-TV, 12:45 p.m. ET/9:45 a.m. PT)

   •       Kurt Walker 129 lbs vs. Stefan Nicolae 127.4 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight — 4 Rounds)

By Norm Frauenheim-

It’s a UK day to celebrate a Saint, Saint George, a long-forgotten Crusader. Not too many Saints in boxing. Not many Crusaders either, although the business could use one after a long week full of allegations and suspicions involving alleged Irish gangster Daniel Kinahan.

There are more questions than answers. But the questions are mounting, fueled by a sudden succession of sanctions, resignations and denials that leaves one of the biggest fights in British history under a darkening cloud.

Tyson Fury is coming home for his first UK fight in nearly four years Saturday (ESPN Pay-Per-View $69.99/2 p.m. ET) since he affirmed his worldwide celebrity. He’s the lineal heavyweight champ, which doesn’t mean he can trace his heritage all the way back to the sainted George. Nonetheless, it’s a lineage, historical enough for a projected milestone — a record crowd of 94,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium against challenger Dillian Whyte. It looked to be a majestic stage for Fury, the proverbial hero-come-home story about a people’s champ who has always been comfortable on just about any stage. He sings. He dances. He danced all over Deontay Wilder the last time we saw him.

But the expected parade is taking an ominous turn. Fury, who has more lyrics and one-liners than counters, is uncomfortable with all things Kinahan. But, increasingly, the Kinahan question is impossible to ignore. It’s crashing the party. 

Within about 10 days, the questions have gone from absent to everywhere. From muted to megaphone. On April 12, news broke that the US Treasury Department had levied sanctions against Kinahan. Actually, sanction is a polite word for what the Feds have done. They published a poster, bordered in red and Kinahan’s photo beneath a headline offering a reward of up to $5 million for “financial disruption of the Kinahan criminal organization or the arrest and/or conviction of Daniel Joseph Kinahan.’’

The wanted poster has morphed into the main event.

Fury has long acknowledged his relationship with Kinahan, who has been living in Dubai as a fugitive, reportedly since 2019. The High Court of Ireland and Irish law enforcement has long called him a gangster who smuggles drugs and guns throughout Europe. Murder has also been alleged.

But Fury doesn’t get specific about his relationship with Kinahan.

“I just had about a million questions about all of this rubbish,’’ he told Sky Sports. “But, like I said to them, it’s none of my business. I don’t get involved in other’s people’s business. So, it doesn’t really concern me.’’

But the relationship is there, caught in photos and in logos. For a while, he fought with MTK Global stitched onto his trunks. The MTK logo – originally called MGM — was the management/promotional company reportedly formed by Kinahan, who would only say that he worked as an advisor for the MTK boxers, mostly from the UK.

“I haven’t done any dealing, business, with him for a long time.’’ Fury said, again to Sky Sports. “I think there was a statement released in 2020. So, that was the end of the business.’’

A succession of moves in the aftermath of the US sanctions on Kinahan, however, suggests that the end is not that simple or definitive. MTK, which said it parted with Kinahan in 2017, shut down Wednesday, the day after MTK CEO Bob Yalen, a former ESPN executive, resigned. Thursday – just a couple of days before the Fury-Whyte opening bell, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) froze Kinahan’s assets.

World Boxing Council President Maurico Sulaiman, who helped broker the deal for the Fury-Whyte fight, appeared in a photo while meeting Kinahan during a stop in Dubai last month. Then, Sulaiman defended the meeting, saying he had no “knowledge of any wrongdoing” by Kinahan. Monday, Sulaiman said in a statement that “at no time have we (the WBC) had any relationship with Daniel Kinahan.’’

There’s no end in sight. This story is just starting. 

LONDON (April 20, 2022) —The drama surrounding whether Dillian Whyte would show up for Wednesday’s press conference was much ado about nothing. The WBC Interim heavyweight champion arrived on time, and he and WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Tyson Fury exchanged more pleasantries than trash talk three days out from their showdown at Wembley Stadium (ESPN+ PPV, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT).

Fury will defend his crown on the world-famous football pitch Saturday in front of a UK-record crowd of approximately 94,000. This is what Fury, Whyte, Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren, and Top Rank President Todd duBoef had to say.

Tyson Fury

“We’ve had a great preparation. There are never any complaints from me. We always do what we can do in training camps and do the best that we can do on the night. I’m sure Dillian Whyte’s had a great training camp as well. He’s a good fighting man. The fans are in for a real treat. I know Dillian. I know him personally, and he knows me. And we’re going to rock n’ roll on fight night. We’re ready to throw down and treat us all to a hell of a barnstorm.”

“It’s been an amazing journey. From where I started all those years ago to the ups and downs and being away from boxing and being fat as f**k, 28 stone. To coming back and being mentally out, a druggie and an alcoholic—all of the rest of the stuff—I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a part of who I am. To coming back and getting back to the top of the world and having three big fights with Deontay Wilder over there in the U.S., and now being back in England after all these years, four years away, and now I’m fighting my old pal Dillian Whyte back at home for all the glory and all the belts. Who would have thought it? We’re looking forward to an awesome, memorable night. This will break all records.”

“Dillian Whyte is a good fighter. He is a good, strong, solid man. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s tough. He’s game. He’s got good power. He’s knocked out a lot of men. He’s had a good learning career as well. He’s got a lot of experience in the fight game. He’s definitely a man that needs a lot of respect. And that’s why I’ve given all this training camp we’ve had. I’ve had everything I can possibly do to train for this. I’ve haven’t left any stones unturned. I’ve trained as hard for Dillian as I have for Wilder or Klitschko

Dillian Whyte

“It means everything to me to be fighting in my home country, and especially because it’s for the world title at Wembley. It’s not too far from where I’m from. It means everything. It’s massive. It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for. It’s a big fight. Like Tyson said, we didn’t expect to be here. But I’m here, but I’ve taken risks time and time again. I’ve had a couple slipups along the way, but I’m here and I’m ready to go. You won’t hear any bullsh*t from me. I’m ready to go.”

On Not Showing Up to Promotional Events
“There was no strategy. There are two sides to his story. You only hear one side of the story because one side says a lot of things. Because I didn’t say anything, everyone was saying ‘you’re scared’ and ‘you’re hiding.’ I ain’t scared of sh*t. I ain’t hiding from sh*t. Stuff needed to get done. Obviously, the fight was signed.  But there were other things behind the scenes that needed to get signed. Me and Frank got together. Credit due to him as me and my team were trying to pick up the phone for a long time to get stuff done.”

“This is one of those fights where I’ve been working on being adaptable. I’m going to have to adapt, make smart decisions, when I need to do what and how I need to do it, and how I need to approach what I’m doing. So that’s it. There’s no strategy here. That’s it. I just need to go in there and do my thing.”

Todd duBoef

“This is more than boxing. This is the world of sport. This is a global epicenter for entertainment and sport. It’s a tribute to all of us in the room. It’s a tribute to Frank Warren, BT Sport and especially these two prizefighters who have brought it all for the many years and hard work in the gym to elevate the sport. The world is all going to be watching, not only 94,000. This is an honor to be a part of, and it’s going to be a wonderful night. We will all remember this.”

Frank Warren

“You’ve got the best heavyweight of his generation, the lineal champion and the WBC champion against a young man over there in Dillian who was been waiting…How long have you been waiting for this fight? 1700 days? He’s been waiting for this fight for 34 years. And it’s here now. He’s got the fight. And, we know he’s in great shape. But he’s got to train hard when you fight a guy like Tyson Fury. He’s told me that it’s been the best training camp that he’s ever had. So, you’ve got both of these guys in tip-top fighting condition. So, what are you going to get on the night of the fight? A great fight.”
UPCOMING FIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 21: Fury vs. Whyte Undercard Press Conference
12:30 p.m. UK/7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT

Streaming on Top Rank’s YouTube and Twitter pages

Friday, April 22: Fury vs. Whyte Weigh-In
2:30 p.m. UK/9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT
Live on ESPN2 and Top Rank’s YouTube and Twitter pages

Saturday, April 23: Fury vs. Whyte Fight Day
PPV Broadcast
2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
CLICK HERE for ESPN+ Event Order Page

Fury vs. Whyte, 12 rounds, Fury’s WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles

Anthony Cacace vs. Jonathan Romero, 10 rounds, Vacant WBO International Junior Lightweight title

Isaac Lowe vs. Nick Ball, 12 rounds, Vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title

David Adeleye vs. Chris Healey, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Tommy Fury vs. Daniel Bocianski, 6 rounds, light heavyweight

LONDON (April 19, 2022) —WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury is comfortable as a solo artist. After Dillian Whyte did not show up to Tuesday’s open workout in London, Fury thrilled the home fans on his own. Fury, who will battle Whyte on ESPN+ PPV this Saturday at Wembley Stadium (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT), turned southpaw and went through the fight week paces with his head trainer, SugarHill Steward.

A crowd of more than 94,000 is expected for this all-UK showdown, which would be one of the largest audiences in combat sports history.

Without Whyte to share the spotlight, this is some of what Fury had to say.
 
“Frank Warren and the boys have done a fantastic job. It’s been a great promotion. Looking forward to a fantastic event.”

“I think it’s gonna be real for {Whyte}. If not today or tomorrow or this week, then as soon as I hit him in the mouth on Saturday night. Then, he knows it’s real!”

“I’ve been boxing quite a bit as a southpaw in camp. We’ll see. Whatever works. If that don’t work, we’ll switch off to orthodox. If that don’t work, we’ll switch back up. I might just go square on!”

On Whyte not showing up to the workout

“That’s Dillian’s concern. That’s none of my business. Dillian Whyte, I’m sure he’s got his reasons why he’s not here today. Whatever they are, good luck to him, and I’ll see him on the fight night.”

“I’ve said this is my last fight, and it will be.”

“I’m overwhelmed with the support I’ve had over the years. It’s been fantastic. 94,000 people, it’s unbelievable, it’s amazing stuff.”

(April 12, 2022) — Top Rank on ESPN will be at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, April 23 to capture the all-English heavyweight battle between WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and WBC interim titleholder Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte. 

ESPN+ Pay-Per-View will stream the event LIVE in the United States at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, with the undercard to stream on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. ESPN will also air a special Fury vs. Whyte Pre-Show on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Purchase the ESPN+ PPV here.

Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) will defend his crown against WBC interim champion Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) in front of a record 94,000 fans, the largest Wembley Stadium has ever hosted and the most fans to witness a boxing event in person since 1993. The Whyte showdown marks Fury’s first bout in London since February 2015.

Calling the action will be Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley Jr. (analyst) and former pound-for-pound #1, two-division world titleholder and 2004?Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (analyst). The desk team will feature analysis from Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna.  

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LONDON (April 5, 2022) — The undercard for Tyson Fury’s WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Championship of the World collision with challenger Dillian Whyte on Saturday, April 23 is now in place, headed up by a return to the ring for the British junior lightweight champion, Anthony “The Apache” Cacace.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that 4,000 additional tickets now set to go on sale tomorrow making Fury-Whyte the record-breaking sporting event to be held at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.

Cacace (19-1, 7 KOs) is back in action making a successful first defense of his title against Lyon Woodstock in August of last year. The Belfast native will fight for the vacant WBO International title in a 10-rounder against Colombia native Jonathan Romero (34-1, 19 KOs), a former IBF junior featherweight world champion.

In a 10-round supporting fight where fireworks are guaranteed, the vacant WBC Silver featherweight title will be on the line when Tyson Fury comrade Isaac Lowe (23-1-3, 6 KOs) takes on undefeated Liverpool native Nick Ball (14-0, 7 KOs).

The winner of this prestigious belt will be catapulted into the WBC world rankings.

Ladbroke Grove heavyweight David Adeleye (8-0, 7 KOs) will clock up his ninth fight and his second eight-rounder as a professional against Stockport’s Chris Healey as he closes in on title contention.

The unbeaten Tommy Fury (7-0, 4 KOs) will continue his light heavyweight journey over six rounds against Polish veteran Daniel Bocianski (10-1, 2 KOs).

Live pay-per-view coverage in the United States will begin at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

Before the pay-per-view telecast begins, Top-Rank signed Irish Olympian Kurt Walker (1-0, 1 KO) will compete in a four-round featherweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Frank Warren, who is promoting the show in association with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, said: “I am delighted to finally be able to reveal what will be a competitive undercard in support of the big one that we have all been waiting for.

“I genuinely believe that as soon as Anthony Cacace gathers some momentum in his career, he has got what it takes to win a world title and securing the WBO International belt will put him firmly on track. But he is up against a dangerous and experienced opponent in Jonathan Romero and will need to be at his very best on the night.

“I am so looking forward to seeing our man Nick Ball get the chance to really announce himself on the big stage against Tyson’s sidekick, Isaac Lowe, and it should be a cracking fight. The WBC Silver title on the line will propel the winner right into the world mix at featherweight.

“Big David Adeleye, a regular sparring partner for Tyson, will add the heavyweight theme of the night and will relish the big stage.

“I am delighted that Tommy Fury will get to share some of the spotlight with his big brother after missing out on his big fight last year through illness. If Tommy keeps on winning and continues to shine, his big opportunities will soon follow.

“I would also like to welcome Kurt Walker, the Irish Olympian signed to Top Rank, onto the card.”

WEMBLEY CAPACITY INCREASE FOR TYSON’S BIG NIGHT

Fury-Whyte will now be witnessed in person by 94,000 fans following the granting of an additional 4,000 tickets by the local authority.

Brent Council has now approved a further 4,000 tickets to be available as coach packages which go on sale at noon on Wednesday, April 6, exclusively from Ticketmaster.

The 90,000 would have already been a record attendance for boxing but, such was the demand, Queensberry and Top Rank, along with our hosts Wembley Stadium, sought permission from Brent Council to increase capacity to the biggest seen at a sports event at the national stadium since it was rebuilt in 2007.

An original 85,000 tickets were snapped up in a matter of three hours after going on sale, followed a week later by the initial additional 5,000 tickets also sold in conjunction with coach travel.

Warren said, “I am delighted we are now able to provide four thousand extra tickets for fans to watch the biggest boxing event staged in this country. I know this in no way gets near to meeting the huge demand, but we were determined to have as many fans as possible attend Tyson Fury’s big homecoming fight.

“I would like to extend my thanks to Brent Council for making this possible, along with our event partners at Wembley Stadium, and on April 23 Wembley and the borough of Brent will be beamed across the world.”

THE MASSIVE HEAVYWEIGHT clash between WBC champion Tyson Fury and the challenger Dillian Whyte on April 23 sold in huge numbers today – 85,000 tickets were purchased within 3 hours!

Fans are advised that only a limited number of tickets remain. A small number of Ticketmaster’s Platinum tickets are still available online, while 5,000 coach tickets are yet to be released. Details for the sale of the remaining coach packages will be announced in the coming days and will be available via Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Tickets for the all-British collision that takes place on St George’s Day at Wembley Stadium connected by EE, promoted by Queensberry in association with Top Rank, shown live on BT Sport Box Office in the UK and Pay-Per-View in the US, went on sale at noon on Wednesday via Ticketmaster and the demand was instant and at a staggering level. Peaking at 170K in the virtual queue on Ticketmaster.co.uk and drew the comment from our ticketing partners: “Tyson is a rockstar, he could have sold-out three Wembleys today!”

Queensberry Promotions have begun the process of applying to the local authorities to extend the capacity to 100,000 fans, which would make it the largest post-war boxing attendance in UK history. Should Queensberry Promotions application to extend the crowd to 100,000 be granted, tickets will be announced in due course and again, will be sold via Ticketmaster.

Promoter Frank Warren commented: “I always imagined that this fight wouldn’t be a hard sell so I am happy we opted to stage it in the biggest and best venue in the UK. This illustrates just what a big draw Tyson has become, his personality is infectious and he truly is a champion of the people.

“He is also the No.1 heavyweight in the world and one of the most recognised sportsmen on the planet. I am thrilled that we are bringing him back to Britain to perform on the biggest stage of all against Dillian Whyte and a domestic dust-up that will be the biggest boxing event of the year.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fans for their incredible support of this event and we will be in for some night on April 23 at Wembley Stadium.”

Fans are asked to follow Queensberry Promotions on social media for further ticket announcements, and we look forward to an historic night of heavyweight boxing at the national stadium on St George’s Day!

WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World, April 23 at Wembley Stadium

London March 1, 2022: Tyson Fury and fight promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry, along with Brad Jacobs from Top Rank, today met the media to signal the official launch of his mandatory defence against Dillian Whyte on April 23 under the famous arch at Wembley Stadium.

Challenger Whyte from Brixton, London, opted not to attend and remained at his training base in Portugal, leaving the No.1 heavyweight in the world with the stage to himself in front of the assembled world media.

Hall of Fame promoter Warren conveyed his obvious delight over staging the biggest event of the year but, however, expressed his disappointment over the no-show of Whyte and explained the circumstances behind his absence.

“We entered a world record purse bid for the fight and here we are with largest purses ever paid to British boxers to fight on UK soil. I am delighted, we are at Wembley and it doesn’t get any better than this.

“It will be a fantastic night of boxing and will be a sell-out with just under a 100,000 capacity. It will be a special night because you have got the WBC champion, the Lineal champion who has not fought here in nearly four years.

“Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon and it is going to be phenomenal. All we needed was for the other side of the card to show up. We ticked all the boxes and he signed a contract that he left right until the last minute. Then he tries to renegotiate.

“One of the things was he wanted a private jet to fly him in and out today and we agreed to that in writing. Then they tried to add other stuff to it and didn’t even want to let us use his photograph on the poster. I’ve never heard of anything like it in my life. He is getting eight times more than Tyson got to fight Klitschko, more than Joshua got to fight Martin and more than Usyk got to fight Joshua.

“Champions bank on themselves to win, that’s what they do. If you win the title you get the money. We are where we are, but Dillian Whyte is in Portugal and it is disgraceful that he is not here. It is not professional and, if somebody else had won the purse bid, we would have helped to make that work. It is madness.”

Ahead of a second defence of his WBC world heavyweight title, Tyson Fury made light of his missing opponent.

“It has been an absolute roller coaster of a ride,” said the Gypsy King. “I’ve been across the Atlantic fighting at exotic venues and now I feel like the song by Thin Lizzy ‘The boys are back in Town’. After four years away I get to come back on the world’s biggest stage at Wembley Stadium.

“I am putting on for those who travelled out to Las Vegas and the fans who stayed up until 5am to watch on BT Sport. Now they can come and watch on home soil and be a part of history. People will be talking about this event, saying ‘where were you when this happened on that night of 23 April 2022?’ in years to come. When Tyson Fury smashed this fella to pieces in front of home fans in the UK.

“There hasn’t been a bigger fight since Lewis-Bruno, an all-British showdown for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world.

“It will be a fantastic event and I know Dillian Whyte is going to come in prepared. He will be rugged, rough, game and aggressive. Both fighters are going for the knockout in this fight and when I land the Lancaster Bomber on his jaw it is going to be over.

“I am looking to put on an excellent showcase of knockout boxing in front of the UK fans and then sing a load of songs afterwards! Time to party on down in the Big Smoke!

“I am not concerned about Dillian not being here because this is the Tyson Fury Roadshow.”

Brad Jacobs of Top Rank added: “Whyte is certainly a credible threat and is one of the top available contenders. It is unprofessional that he is not here today but we will get past that and move on. Everyone is second best to Tyson, in the ring, in personality, in everything.”

LONDON (Feb. 25, 2022) — After storming the United States with a pair of knockouts over Deontay Wilder, WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury returns home for an all-British battle against WBC interim champion Dillian Whyte on Saturday, April 23 at London’s Wembley Stadium connected by EE. Fury-Whyte will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View in the U.S.

Promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank, tickets will be on sale exclusively from Ticketmaster at midday on Wednesday, March 2. Fans hoping to purchase a ticket for the event are encouraged to sign-up for Ticket Alert emails HERE to receive the ticket link direct to their inboxes. News on undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

“Tyson Fury coming home to fight under the arch at Wembley Stadium is a fitting reward for the No.1 heavyweight in the world following his exploits across the Atlantic in his epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder,” stated Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren. “The fact that this mandatory defense of his WBC title comes against another Brit only adds to the occasion. They are two of the biggest characters in British sport and both normally have plenty to say for themselves.

“It is going to be an incredible night and a huge occasion for sport in this country that will capture the imagination of fans right across the world.”

Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank, added: “Tyson Fury conquered America, and it is only fitting that he defends the heavyweight championship in a packed Wembley Stadium. Dillian Whyte has called for this fight for years, and while he is a deserving challenger, no heavyweight can match ‘The Gypsy King.’ This is going to be a momentous night of boxing with tens of thousands of fans in attendance at Wembley Stadium.”

Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs), based in Morecambe, has held the lineal heavyweight title since November 28, 2015, the night he ended the nearly decade-long championship run of Wladimir Klitschko. Following over two years of inactivity, he returned to action in June 2018, inspiring millions with a comeback that saw him fighting for the world title within six months of his June 2018 comeback victory over Sefer Seferi in Manchester. The only blemish on his record — a disputed December 2018 draw against Wilder — was avenged with stoppage wins over the American star in February 2020 and October 2021. The Dillian Whyte showdown marks his first bout in London since February 2015.

Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs), who was raised in Brixton, London, earned a shot at Fury
with a seven-year run as a world-level heavyweight. Following a seventh-round TKO loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015 — when both were undefeated prospects — Whyte went on an 11-fight winning streak that included triumphs over Joseph Parker, Oscar Rivas, Lucas Browne, and Derek Chisora (2x). His momentum, and mandatory position, was halted when Alexander Povetkin knocked him out with a single left uppercut in August 2020. Whyte exacted revenge in March 2021, knocking out Povetkin in four rounds to regain his interim title.