DILLIAN WHYTE has blasted “silly” suggestions that Mike Tyson could challenge Tyson Fury for the heavyweight title during his comeback.
It comes after WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman publicly backed Tyson’s proposed comeback and even said he would support the 53-year-old making a run for Fury’s belt.
Dillian Whyte blasted ‘silly’ suggestions that Mike Tyson could challenge Tyson Fury for the title
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman publicly backed Tyson’s proposed comeback
But Whyte – the current mandatory for the famous green and gold belt – hit back at the boxing chief for irresponsibly encouraging Iron Mike to challenge the reigning champion.
He told talkSPORT: “It’s silly. If they can’t sanction a fight with me for three years, why the hell are they going to sanction a fight with a 53-year-old man and a 31-year-old man?
“It makes no sense. That’s silly. Mauricio and I are cool, but it’s a very silly thing to say. He shouldn’t be encouraging it.
“What if he comes back and dies in the ring? What’s going to happen then?
“We’ve already got enough darkness and enough mud thrown on the sport as it is, we don’t need any more.”
Fury, who dethroned former WBC king Deontay Wilder in February, claimed he accepted an offer to box Tyson in an exhibition bout, but admitted talks had not materialised.
Mauricio are I are cool, but it’s a very silly thing to say. He shouldn’t be encouraging it. What if he comes back and dies in the ring? What’s going to happen then?
Whyte on WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman backing Mike Tyson’s comeback
Iron Mike has been training for the last month as he prepares to fight for the first time in 15 years, revealing his return will only be for charity.
And despite the several clips of Tyson rolling back the years on the pads, Whyte fears the reformed Baddest Man on the Planet could “get seriously hurt”.
He said: “It’s all good watching someone do a one-minute clip on Instagram.
“Getting back in the ring and fighting 12 three-minute rounds… don’t get me wrong he’s probably still got the power to chin a lot of guys, but at that age your mind tells you stuff when your eyes see stuff but your body won’t allow you to do it.
“You can think you’ve got it and you’re still this and that and you’re going against these young guys.
“We’ve seen it happen time and time again with older guys coming back and fighting for a long time. It’s just like, what’s the point?
“You’re a legend, you’re a living legend. Be that and leave it alone. But we don’t know people’s financial situation, what they’re doing or what they’ve been through.
“He might just feel like he wants to test himself, but there are easier ways to test yourself than coming back and fighting with these young, hungry guys.
“He might get seriously hurt and that’s the biggest worry for me.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
