Tyson Fury won the WBC title in February 2020, knocking out Deontay Wilder in a rematch after their December 2018 draw.
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The WBC world heavyweight championship bout between Tyson Fury and mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte is now official. Top Rank announced on Friday that the fight would take place on April 23 at Wembley Stadium in London and air on ESPN+ PPV.
There was some hope that Fury would face Oleksandr Usyk in a four-belt unification bout. Reportedly, that was nearly a done deal with Whyte and Anthony Joshua agreeing to take step-aside money for their guaranteed bouts with Fury and Usyk, respectively, before an attempt to negotiate at the last minute sank the possibility.
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“Tyson Fury coming home to fight under the arch at Wembley Stadium is a fitting reward for the No.1 heavyweight in the world following his exploits across the Atlantic in his epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder,” promoter Frank Warren said in a statement. “The fact that this mandatory defense of his WBC title comes against another Brit only adds to the occasion. They are two of the biggest characters in British sport and both normally have plenty to say for themselves.
“It is going to be an incredible night and a huge occasion for sport in this country that will capture the imagination of fans right across the world.”
The fight between Fury and Whyte then went to purse bid on Jan. 28, with Warren’s Queensberry Boxing, Fury’s co-promoter along with Top Rank, winning rights to the bout with a bid of $41,025,000.
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Whyte now will get his long-awaited shot at a world championship after spending the majority of the past several years as either the top-ranked or mandatory contender to the WBC title, only for the belt to be held up by the trilogy between Fury and Deontay Wilder. A stunning upset knockout loss to Alexander Povetkin in August 2020 served as a major setback for Whyte, but he avenged the loss and regained his interim WBC title and status as mandatory challenger.
Fury won the WBC title in February 2020, knocking out Deontay Wilder in a rematch after their December 2018 draw. He successfully defended the belt in October, knocking out Wilder again, this time in one of the best fights of the year, cementing his status as the sport’s top heavyweight.
