Tyson Fury has announced that he’s going offline for the next 8 1/2 weeks to focus on his training for the April 23rd title defense of his WBC heavyweight strap against Dillian Whyte.
Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) wants to put all his energy into getting ready for what could be a tough fight for him against a likely very desperate Whyte, who might never get another shot at a title.
This might be the last chance saloon for the 34-year-old Whyte, as it’s taken him this long to finally get a chance to fight for a world title.
If Whyte loses this fight, he likely won’t have the youth or the talent to work himself in a position to become mandatory challenger a second time.
With the $7.3 million purse that Whyte will be getting for his fight with Fury on April 23rd, he won’t be hurting for money if he never gets the opportunity again for a significant fight.
Currently, Whyte’s net worth is $7 million, according to Sportekz. That’s a good chunk of change for a fighter that has never competed for a world title before during his 11-year professional career.
During camp, Fury revealed that he’ll be using these fighters as his sparring partners: Jared Anderson, Martin Bakole, and David Adeleye.
Dillian Whyte will attend press conference
“When you have a purse contract, there are certain promotional obligations that don’t no longer exist under a normal deal that’s reached. Dillian Whyte is a professional. He’s not trying to be clever,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV.
“Of course, he’ll [Whyte] go to a press conference, but in the right manner, professionally. What was this purse bid won at? $41 million. So, Whyte’s not going to hop on a Ryanair plane and get COVID for the biggest fight of his life, so treat him with respect,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV.
“Sometimes people want to buy Rolls Royces, but they don’t have the money to put the petrol in, and let’s just make sure Dillian Whyte is treated with respect.
“It’s not about him wanting extra money to do extra work,” Hearn said of Whyte. “He doesn’t have to do anything. It was a purse bid. All he has to do is keep himself safe and prepare to win a heavyweight world title. So that’s what he’ll do, and we’ll see you there.
“They don’t want me involved in the event, which is mad because the only way it’ll be a success is with me involved. When I say things like that, it’s a bit tongue in cheek, but it’s actually true.
“But if they don’t want me there, I’m not going to turn up and start getting stopped from going into rooms and stuff like that. I’m here to support Dillian. I’ve had his back for a long time, and he’s had my back. I want him to win badly, and any help I can give him in his challenge for a world title, I’ll be there.
“Dillian Whyte, I have a whole lot of respect for him. I’ve promoted virtually his whole career, ups and downs. I’ve been with him through good times, bad times, supported him all the way and he’s supported us all the way. I’m here for him,” said Hearn.
Fury announces his blackout
“I’m about to go off social media completely for the next 8 1/2 weeks. I’ve got to go into training camp to give Dillian Whyte all the respect in the world that he needs,” said Tyson Fury on social media in letting fans know he’ll be offline.
“I’ll train for him like he’s Muhammad Ali or Bruce Lee for this camp. I’ll never underestimate anybody in my life, and I’ll give this man all the respect he deserves, coming into the WBC’s #1 ranked challenger in the world today,” Fury continued about Whyte.
“Please don’t call me, email me, text me or try to contact me in any single way because I’ll be out of bounds until May. So have a fantastic time. I’ll see you all at the press conference, and I’ll be training away. Please appreciate [respect] my privacy and space. Until the press conference, I shall see you all soon, peace out,” said Fury.
