All the latest information ahead of the highly anticipated fight for the world heavyweight championship
Wembley Stadium has emerged as a serious contender to host Tyson Fury’s all-British blockbuster with Dillian Whyte on April 23.
Cardiff had been the favourite for the fight, expected to be the biggest British bout of all time, but the 90,000-capacity London stadium is now under consideration.
Fury on Friday said that fighting at Wembley would be “very special” as his team put a February 19 deadline on Whyte to sign the final contract as they faced radio silence from the WBC mandatory challenger.
“I’ve not been told about the venue or actual date yet. But if it was Wembley Stadium, it would be a very special moment for me, very special,” Fury said alongside his promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum.
“I think that news is to follow pretty soon. Frank and Bob are working pretty hard on that behind the scenes to get the date and venue nailed down.”
Fury, the WBC champion who emerged as the sport’s leading name following a trilogy of fights with American Deontay Wilder, has not fought in the UK since 2018.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve boxed in the UK… what did Thin Lizzy say?The boys are back in town and I’m happy to be home and to put on a show for everybody,” Fury, speaking at the launch of his Furocity energy drink, said.
“It’s gratifying to come home and fight here. I’ve been away a long time, doing my own thing over in America, cracking America, beating the champions. There has to be a time when you return home for the hero’s welcome and I’m definitely due a hero’s welcome.
“I just think it’s going to be a fantastic event and give all the fans who supported me from the comeback to today, their reward to come and watch me live. It’s very important to give the fans a fight back home and who better against then a man who’d had a lot to say, a man who has a very high world ranking, a man who is mandatory for my WBC title and a man who kept telling everybody that I was afraid of him and that I’d never fight him.”
Whyte is yet to sign the contract as was branded a “coward” by Fury for going to ground. As his promoters urged Whyte to complete the agreement, Warren revealed that Fury’s opponent-in-waiting had refused to promote the bout due to the 80/20 purse split mandated by the WBC sanctioning body.
Fury also hit out at the “rattlesnakes” who derailed a potential step-aside deal with Anthony Joshua to allow him to meet Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in a title unification.
“Let’s just say that didn’t happen because one party came back on the final day and said I want X amount to millions more or I’m no doing it and Big T said ‘stick the X amount of millions up your rear end’, so yeah, it was very complicated and stressful for me to deal with these idiots,” he said, speaking for the first time about the multi-million pound wranglings.
“I’m not a businessman and all the business stuff drives me mad because I just want to sign a contract and get on with it. I don’t like all this backwards and forwards and all this snakey behaviour. They’re like rattlesnakes in the grass, they say one thing and mean another, I don’t like that.
“What you see on the tin is what you get with me. If I bark and growl, I’m probably going to bite you, but if I’m wagging my tail then you know I’m not. These are like reptiles, you never know what’s going to happen with them.”
Asked if the undisputed title was his target this year, Fury added: “I’ve got Dillian Whyte to take care of and in this game, you can never count your chickens before they hatch. I’m fighting Dillian Whyte next, providing he signs the contract – and he’s got until February 19 to sign it. If he doesn’t he’ll be ridiculed and called a coward forever because of his antics.”
What is it?
A world heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte for the WBC belt.
When is it?
The fight is expected to take place in April.
Where is it?
Should the fight go ahead, the fight is expected to take place in either London or Cardiff – with Wembley Stadium the current favourite to host the bout.
How to watch Fury-Whyte on TV
Fury’s recent fights have been broadcast on BT Sport pay-per-view while Whyte’s bouts has been on Sky Sports box office.
It means a deal will likely need to be stuck over who holds the main rights.