Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte will be fighting on September 11th or 18th in the U.S, not on the West Coast at a convenient time for UK subscribers to DAZN. Whyte’s promoter Eddie Hearn says Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) will take the September 18th date if Canelo Alvarez chooses not to fight.
Hearn didn’t mention Whyte’s opponent during an interview on Thursday at the Matchroom Fight Camp, but it’s expected to be unbeaten American Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs).
This fight isn’t supposed to be a competitive one or a match that will get the U.S and UK boxing fans excited at seeing Whyte.
It’s more to introduce Whyte to the American boxing fans and giving him someone that he’ll spectacular against, and Franklin, 27, should serve that purpose well.
Hearn says Whyte will then fight in December in a bigger fight, which he expects him to win. That opponent is likely to be former IBF heavyweight champion, Charles Martin.
“Dillian Whyte will most likely box on September 11th or the 18th still,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV. “If Canelo doesn’t box on the 18th, then that’s probably the date that Dillian will fight, not on the West Coast.
“We will probably make it a convenient time for UK subscribers on DAZN,” said Hearn.
It’s going to be hard for Americans to wrap their heads around watching Whyte headline on DAZN against Franklin on September 18th rather than seeing Canelo Alvarez fight on that date.
Canelo was supposed to be fighting IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant, but their negotiations stalled out on Tuesday.
If Whyte is going to take Canelo’s September 18th date, it’s not a great replacement fight for DAZN to have Dillian fighting Franklin.
The Michigan native hasn’t fought in two years since beating journeyman Pavel Sour in 2019, and his record is empty of any notable fighters other than journeymen.
If Hearn is going to try and turn Whyte into a star in the United States, he’s taking a backward approach. There are a lot of American heavyweights that would be willing to fight Whyte and they would give him a run for his money and maybe even beat him.
41-year-0ld Alexander Povetkin stopped Whyte in 2020 and probably would have beaten him a second time if he didn’t rush back into the rematch just three months after having COVID-19.
“Ongoing communication with the WBC. We’re all working together to try and get what he deserves,” Hearn said about Whyte’s mandatory situation with the World Boxing Council.
“From my side, we’re in correspondence backward and forwards. We just want what Dillian Whyte deserves, that’s all.
“He’s going to go out in September, he’s going to win, and then he’s going to have a big fight in December and he’s going to win. Sooner or later, you’ve got to give him his dues,” said Hearn.
It sounds like Hearn is worked up about Whyte losing his WBC mandatory status after being knocked out last year. The WBC can fix that problem by ordering Whyte to face Luis Ortiz in a title eliminator. Maybe this time, Dillian will agree to fight him.