Whyte suing WBC over title fight delay

London: WBC heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte is suing the organisation for failing to schedule his mandatory title fight against current champion Tyson Fury.

Whyte booked a shot at the WBC crown with a unanimous decision win over Oscar Rivas last July. Had then-champion Deontay Wilder defeated Fury in December, ‘The Body Snatcher’s’ challenge was set for February.

Fury’s dominant win over the American put the handbrake on those plans, with Wilder now due a rematch, but the COVID-19 pandemic suspended sport in March, leaving the stacked heavyweight division in a state of flux.

Fury’s promoter, Bob Arum, has requested mandatory challenges be postponed, while his charge fulfils his obligation with Wilder and then unifies the division against Joshua.

That request has sparked Whyte’s legal grievance, whose 11 straight wins have positioned him as one of the elite boxers in the sport’s glamour division.

“There is a procedure with regards to the date of the mandatory in the heavyweight division,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has told Sky Sports UK. Whyte’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who also controls the careers of Joshua and Joseph Parker. -