Promoter Eddie Hearn said at the weekend, after his second most famous heavyweight, Dillian Whyte, was cleared by UKAD, that he felt the WBC would “do the right thing; the only thing” and reinstate Whyte as their interim heavyweight champion and give back Whyte’s mandatory position.
Justice has been done and the WBC has done all of the above. Whyte, who was put through, in his own words “hell” during the summer, after his July win over Oscar Rivas, is now right back where he was five months or so ago.
That’s the good news for Whyte, 27-1(18). The bad news is the fact that the winner of the February 2020 rematch between WBC champ Deontay Wilder and challenger Tyson Fury must defend the WBC title against him “on or about February of 2021.”
So although Whyte is back in position to fight for that which he has earned the right to fight for, he must wait, potentially, a full year. Of course, Wilder or Fury could agree to fight Whyte sooner than February of 2021, but if Whyte is correct in his assertion that Wilder wants nothing at all to do with him, and if Wilder beats Fury next February, this might be unlikely. And then there is the possibility that Wilder and Fury will have a third fight.
But Whyte’s chance will come, even if “The Bodysnatcher” has to wait until February of 2021 to get it. A year is a long time in boxing, and it will be interesting seeing what Whyte does as he awaits he shot – who might he fight and how often might he fight as he waits his turn?
Whyte, by his own admission, was far from at his best this past Saturday, when he pounded out a ten-round UD over a game Mariusz Wach. Whyte now has plenty of time to get himself back into tip-top fighting shape and make sure he will be at his absolute best for that long awaited WBC title chance. Wilder and Fury both have to know how dangerous Whyte can be when he’s firing on all cylinders. As he is now able to get back to doing – no ifs or buts.