Tyson Fury is adamant Dillian Whyte will regret not attending Tuesday’s WBC and Ring Magazine heavyweight world title fight press conference – a decision that may eventually damage his legacy within the sport. The Gypsy King was joined by promoter Frank Warren and Top Rank’s Brad Jacobs at Wembley Stadium to officially announce the bout, pencilled in for April 23 under the famous arch.
Whyte opted to remain in Portugal, where he now resides and is not expected to fulfil any media duties until fight-week.
The Body Snatcher is continuing to campaign for a bigger share of Queensbury Promotions’ record-breaking £31million purse bid.
As it stands, Whyte is currently set to earn 20 per cent of that figure – around £6.2m – although he has now opened legal proceedings with the WBC.
Yet the undefeated Gyspy King is adamant the snub may affect the fighter’s boxing legacy in the long term, particularly if the heavyweight clash goes down in the history books.
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“On this big occasion, it’s Dillian Whyte’s biggest chance to do his thing,” he said at the press conference.
“He’s been calling for a world title fight for I don’t know how many years, he’s been saying everyone’s been avoiding him and running away.
“I thought he would have come here to be a part of big-time boxing, he’s never been involved in a fight of this magnitude ever.
“He’s never likely to be involved in a fight of this magnitude ever again.
“So I thought he would have come here, sapped up all the experience but if he doesn’t want to get involved in that, that’s his business.
“I’m here to be a part of big-time boxing, that’s his problem. For him not to be a part of it, I actually think it messes up his legacy as well.
“In years to come, if it is a really good fight – which I anticipate it will be – he didn’t have any involvement in the build-up or media. He won’t be in any photographs.
“Old magazines, he won’t be in any of it. I think it’s a shame not only for him but his family and kids to look back on in time as well.”
Meanwhile, Warren hit out at Whyte’s decision not to participate in the promotion of the fight, slamming his team’s demands.
“One of the things was, he wanted a private jet to fly him in and out of Portugal,” The Boxing Hall of Fame promoter said.
“But we said yesterday – in writing – we’d do that. Then they started adding other stuff to it.
“They didn’t even want to let us use his photograph on a poster, you cannot use his image rights.
“I’ve never heard anything like it in my life.”