Manchester Evening News

Fury’s next fight decided as Whyte steps into the ring

- By JAMES FINDLATER

TYSON Fury has been told his next fight will be against Dillian Whyte – with the World Boxing Council’s president confirming they will order the mandatory challenge.

There has been plenty of discussion over what Fury will do next following his knockout win in the trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder last month.

Hopes of a unificatio­n bout against Oleksandr Usyk, or an eagerly-anticipate­d fight against Anthony Joshua, were dashed when a rematch between the two was triggered following the Ukrainian’s win in September.

That left Whyte as Fury’s likely next opponent, with the 33-yearold standing as the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweigh­t title.

That bout has been put into doubt though amid suggestion­s that Fury could retire from the ring – with Ricky Hatton urging his friend to hang up his gloves immediatel­y.

Meanwhile, Whyte had been scheduled to fight Otto Wallin on October 30, only to cancel the bout after sustaining a shoulder injury in training.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed though that the organisati­on will go through with their order for a fight between the Gypsy King and the Body Snatcher, with Fury having been unable to negotiate a fight with Usyk.

“The WBC order was very clear, that the winner of Fury vs Wilder has one month to try to secure the ultimate unificatio­n against Usyk, who defeated Joshua,” Sulaiman told talkSPORT.

“If they’re not capable of doing such, then the WBC would go with a mandatory, which is the interim champion.

“We have received from the British Boxing Board of Control the medical certificat­ion that Whyte could not fight Wallin because of the injury. So we are going to do what we promised, which is that way we are moving forward.” Meanwhile, Mike Tyson has issued his verdict on the retirement debate surroundin­g Tyson Fury, urging the Manchester fighter to ‘keep on winning.’ Fury is on top of the world following back-to-back victories over Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas, standing as the only boxer the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has failed to beat.

However, plenty of speculatio­n surroundin­g Fury’s future have floated around.

Mike Tyson has now weighed into the situation, stating that Fury is in a different league to any other heavyweigh­t.

“Keep on winning, brother, keep on winning. He’s the lineal champion.

“He’s the man who beat the man,” he told Reuters.

“He is heavyweigh­t boxing, period.

“He is, nobody else. Ask anybody except for Usyk: Who is the heavyweigh­t champion? Usyk might even say it’s Fury.

“Keep fighting, make money, stack your money up, and call it a day.”

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 ?? ?? Tyson Fury knocks out Deontay Wilder in the 11th round of their WBC heavyweigh­t title fight last month; Inset below, Mike Tyson
Tyson Fury knocks out Deontay Wilder in the 11th round of their WBC heavyweigh­t title fight last month; Inset below, Mike Tyson

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