DILLIAN WHYTE will delve deep into the darkest parts of his destructive mind to beat Tyson Fury.
But outside the ring, the 18-stone merchant of menace does not want to intimidate anyone.
Dillian Whyte has some story to tell about his rise to the top in boxingCredit: ShutterstockWhyte gets his shot at Tyson Fury’s WBC world title at the weekendCredit: Reuters
Whyte’s mum left him in Jamaica when he was just two to make a better life in England.
His adopted family stole the money she sent back and neglected him until he could join her in South London.
Sadly, the 12-year-old was then swallowed up by gang life.
He knows he is lucky to be alive after being shot twice and stabbed three times.
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Watch Mike Tyson batter fellow air passenger for ‘throwing water bottle at him’
Boxing saved him. But without any amateur pedigree — barring a barnstorming 2009 win over Anthony Joshua — he had to market himself as Dillian ‘The Villain’ and act up to the stereotype of being boxing’s bad boy.
Spend five minutes in Whyte’s company though and you find a man full of giggles, childish pranks and self-improvement.
Brixton’s Body Snatcher gets his shot at Fury’s WBC world heavyweight crown at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
And Whyte, 34, conceded: “Deep down I am destructive. There is a lot of darkness in me.
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“Because of that I never need to enforce or promote it. I understand that I can switch it on for work but I don’t fake it — ever.
“I am a big, 18-stone black man whose job it is to intimidate and beat people up.
“My past and my story is intimidating, so I think a lot of people are worried about me. But the people who are nervous of me don’t know me and are making assumptions about me.
“People would have you believe that I am crazy or dangerous.
“I never need to enforce that, I don’t need to run around growling and snarling and telling people I am hard.
“I see some fighters and they have a team of people around them who are scared of them and I have seen fighters who make reporters nervous. I don’t want to be that guy.
“We have the same blood and bones and organs — our skin colours and cultures might be a little different — but I don’t feel the need to intimidate anyone.
“I just want to have a laugh and see how things go.”
When Fury’s father John tried to grab the limelight at Wednesday’s pre-fight meet by stepping up to Whyte’s face, a dangerous melee could have broken out until Whyte and Tyson cooled things down.
When two-fight rival Derek Chisora launched a table at Whyte during a press conference in 2016, the South Londoner did not flinch, let alone retaliate.
The reason why is very simple and should keep the undefeated Gypsy King on his toes.
Whyte said: “I am about that life. I don’t play it.
“Throwing tables at innocent people is stupid, real guys don’t do that. That’s why I didn’t react.
“I don’t train myself to switch it off or on. It comes when it comes.
“It might come 30 seconds before I leave the dressing room or 20 seconds into my ring walk.
“It might come earlier in fight week because of something somebody says or it might just come when the first bell goes. I don’t know and I don’t want to know.”
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Whyte has got his title shot the hard way after a 30-fight career that features two defeats.
The first pro loss was to Joshua in 2015.
In 2019 Whyte was under a UK Anti-Doping investigation that was thrown out just hours before his win over Mariusz Wach.
He was a bloated 19st 5lb, distraught over the accusations and boxed poorly by his standards.
Whyte declared: “I was innocent and fighting for my career over something I didn’t do.
“My head was f*** because, when you do something and you get caught, you can accept it. “But that f*** destroyed me because I didn’t do anything, which was proven in the end.”
He lost for a second time in 2020, to Alexander Povetkin. But he KO’d the Russian in their rematch last year to set up the showdown with Fury.
After that scrap, Whyte revealed he was so focused on Povetkin he had not even met his four-month-old baby son.
That sort of dedication is why Fury does not agree with bookies making Whyte a big underdog.
Whyte added: “I like to keep all that personal stuff private.
“I see all of my kids when I can. But I am working now to provide for their future and then we can spend some more and better time together.
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“I want to be able to do a lot more with them but these are sacrifices you have to make.
“I never really had a proper father growing up so I know what it’s like and what it takes.”
Dillian Whyte is a global brand ambassador for VOW Nutrition, manufacturer of sports supplements trusted by Pro Athletes, and Lucky Block, the crypto sports games and giveaway prize draws platform.
