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Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte roundtable: Analysis, expert picks, predictions for heavyweight title fight
A title match years in the making will be taking place Saturday, as Tyson Fury faces off against Dillian Whyte for the WBC heavyweight title. Inside Wembley Stadium, the road to undisputed has one last pitstop.
Whyte won the interim WBC heavyweight title in 2019, while Fury won the WBC heavyweight title in 2020 against Deontay Wilder. Just completing a trilogy fight with Wilder, Fury faces a hard-hitting Whyte. About 94,000 people will pack Wembley Stadium for this all-British matchup between two former sparring partners.
The Sporting News’ Dom Farrell, Thomas Naghten, Albert Perez and Dan Yanofsky joined forces to discuss all things Fury vs. Whyte.
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What is your excitement level for Fury vs. Whyte?
Dom Farrell: OK, so this isn’t the all-British heavyweight title clash we really wanted, nor is it an undisputed showdown. But it’s still a really good heavyweight fight. Dillian Whyte has done all that has been asked of him to earn this shot. He has waited over 1,000 days for his chance. He is legitimately in the top five in the division. The atmosphere at a packed Wembley will be electric as Fury laps up a homecoming on the back of his heroics against Deontay Wilder.
8/10
Thomas Naghten: Call me basic, but there’s a reason promoters, press conferences, media tours and all the rest of it exist. Dillian Whyte doing precisely zero to promote this fight, combined with Tyson Fury’s self-imposed social media blackout, mean my hype levels are only simmering along. Of course, any heavyweight title fight featuring “The Gypsy King” is always going to get the heart racing, but, at this stage, I’m not foaming at the mouth for this one.
6/10
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Albert Perez: In his comeback from his bout with depression, Tyson Fury has become one of boxing’s premier attractions. His trilogy with Deontay Wilder undoubtedly raised his stock tenfold. His name on the marquee now brings an automatic level of excitement. There is a reason the capacity at Wembley Stadium was increased to 94,000 fans. While Dillian Whyte is not bringing a legitimate title into the fray, much like Wilder, he can produce entertaining matches. As he showed in his two fights against Alexander Povetkin, he can either come out with a knockout or be the one who is knocked out. There is no middle ground with him.
7/10
Dan Yanofsky: After years of waiting for his chance to fight for the WBC heavyweight title, Dillian Whyte finally gets his opportunity. The pair of fights he had against Alexander Povetkin actually made the build to the fight interesting. Whyte hasn’t really promoted the bout until the most recent press conference, while Fury has done most of the work. One of boxing’s biggest fighters in Fury has all the momentum after the Deontay Wilder trilogy. The visual of having this fight inside a packed Wembley Stadium will be fun to look at. One thing we all want to see is an undisputed heavyweight title fight, and this is another roadblock in getting there. If this can exceed expectations, especially with the age of both fighters (34 for Whyte, 33 for Fury), that is all we can ask for.
8/10
MORE: Sign up to watch the Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte, exclusively on ESPN+
Fury vs. Whyte prediction
Dom Farrell: Whyte is the come-forward, nuisance of a shorter heavyweight who gave Fury problems earlier in his career. The WBC champ is a different animal nowadays, and the more aggressive side he showed in the second and third Wilder fights means he can similarly finish this one inside the distance. Whyte will not fail wondering, but, equally, Fury will not have to go looking for his rival, and his precise attacks will take a decisive toll as we enter the championship rounds.
Prediction: Fury via round 10 TKO
Thomas Naghten: Having not fought in over 12 months and stepping in for the biggest fight of his career, Whyte appears the more unknown quantity of the two. Unless he significantly changes his style coming into the bout, we predict him to bring the fight to Fury. Deontay Wilder showed that strategy can work — until it doesn’t. Fury was comfortable trading with the most powerful of power punchers in Wilder, and despite eating some of “The Bronze Bomber’s” best shots, he just wouldn’t go away.
If Fury, complete with his increased willingness to get on the offensive, shows up, we can expect an all-action firefight. The more durable and elusive champ should emerge victorious before the halfway point.
Prediction: Fury via round six TKO
MORE: Tyson Fury purse history: How much does heavyweight world champion make?
Albert Perez: Overall, Tyson Fury is simply a far superior boxer than Dillian Whyte. His stamina, punch output, footwork and reflexes are astonishing for a man his size. His ring IQ is also off the charts. However, the great equalizer for Whyte could be his power. In his fights with Deontay Wilder, Fury did visit the canvas a couple of times and took a lot of punishment from a heavy hitter, especially in the third match in October.
While Whyte is not a dangerous puncher like Wilder, he could potentially hurt Fury if he connects well. Whyte’s hunger can also be a factor in his favor. He has waited well over 1,000 days for a crack at the WBC’s heavyweight title in what will be the first major championship fight of his career. His level of motivation will be at an all-time high. But Fury is simply at the height of his powers. He will take Whyte into deep waters and outclass him in the end.
Prediction: Fury via Unanimous Decision
Dan Yanofsky: There are a lot of factors when it comes to this fight. Will Whyte, who has 19 wins via knockout, utilize his power against the elusive Fury? Fury’s opponents have only landed 27.5 percent of their punches against him, but Whyte’s plus/minus is better than Fury’s (+3.1 compared with +1.7 for Fury). One thing Fury is, however, is a patient fighter. He maneuvers around the ring and waits to strike. That’s what he did in his recent series against Wilder. Whyte likes to come in for the attack, as seen with his 19.1 punches landed per round. His recent lack of competitive fights compared with Fury might play a factor, and if Fury smells/sees blood like the Wilder fight, we could see another classic performance from “The Gypsy King.”
Prediction: Fury via round eight TKO
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When is Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte?
- Date: Saturday, April 23
- Undercard: 1 p.m. ET
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET
- Main event: 5:30 p.m. ET (approximately)
Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte will take place Saturday, April 23. The undercard action will begin at 1 p.m., with the main card starting at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. Fury and Whyte are expected to make their way to the ring around 5:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch, live stream Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream (PPV): ESPN+, BT Sport Box Office
The Fury vs. Whyte main card will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view. It can be live-streamed through ESPN+. Fans in the U.S. can also watch the fight in select theaters.
For those in the U.K., the fight will air via the BT Sport Box Office.
Fury vs. Whyte fight card
- Tyson Fury (c) vs. Deontay Wilder for Fury’s WBC heavyweight title
- Anthony Cacace vs. Jhonatan Romero; Super-Featherweights
- Isaac Lowe vs. Nick Ball; Featherweights
- David Adeleye vs. Chris Healey; Heavyweights
- Tommy Fury vs. Daniel Bocianski; Light-Heavyweights