Tyson Fury reveals his new nickname for Dillian Whyte ahead of grudge fight and vows to smash rival on St George’s Day
TYSON FURY reckons bitter rival Dillian Whyte waved the white flag of surrender by refusing to show at Tuesday’s launch for their April 23 Wembley showdown.The 33-year-old WBC champ put on a one-man show in the bowls of English football, awarding the challenger a new nickname of ‘FRILLIAN WHYTE KNICKERS’ and vowing to triumph on St George’s Day in honour of the great dragon slayer.
Tyson Fury labelled his rival ‘Frillian Whyte Knickers’ ahead of their Wembley fightCredit: Reuters
Dillian Whyte came under fire from Brit heavyweight rival Tyson FuryCredit: PA
Breathing fire and insults he backed the collection of brave Ukrainian boxers taking up arms against Russia, labelled himself a super-car and Whyte an old banger and then got promoter Frank Warren to pretend to separate them from a phantom scuffle.
It was the full Tyson Fury one-man show roaring into London and running over everything in its way.
“It’s the Fury roadshow,” roared Fury, who later posted an image of Whyte wearing knickers on his social media pages.
“It is never about the opponents. It could be any old face on the poster because it’s all about me and my legacy and boxing career.
“It doesn’t matter if it is Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk or Derek Chisora.
“There is only man on these shores who can deliver and it is me.”
.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Boxing.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
As always, Fury was a tornado of contradictions, one minute Whyte, 33, was a dangerous dance partner with a vicious left hook and a booming right hand.
The next he was a clapped out motor trying to keep up with his luxury speedster.
“He has won 28 of 30 fights,” the Morecambe giant said. “He has a good left hook and a big right hand. He is a big and strong bloke and can knock people out.
“But there is a gulf in class between me and him and if I get knocked out by him then I don’t deserve to be heavyweight champion.
“If I cannot look like Muhammad Ali against this guy then I have a problem, I will smash him to pieces. You will see a Ferrari vs a Vauxhall Corsa.”
Whyte’s team are at war with hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren over who is hosting the bout after a record-breaking purse bid of £30million.
The challenger insists he is being poorly treated and short-changed, the champion’s team insist they are trying to negotiate the terms of the deal.
Fury, though, had little time for the tit-for-tat talk of private jets, escrow payments and contracted media appearances.
“I have known Dillian for a long time, we go back to around 2012,” he explained. “And before he always fired back at me and caused a ruckus but now he has given me so much more confidence, he is terrified.
“He is scared to go face-to-face with me, he will see he is getting smashed to bits, it’s fear and terror.
I believe one billion per cent that I will annihilate him. I have never had a doubt, even going to Germany to beat Wladimir Klitshcko. Tyson Fury
“I don’t blame him for not being here because I might have put him on stretcher if he was here and be getting remanded in jail.
“And anyway, Tyson Fury versus his own shadow sells so I will make sure the people are entertained.”
Despite having the spotlight burning solely on him, Fury never squinted or sweated.
Self-belief, he explained, has been his secret weapon through all 32 fights, more so than the gargantuan size, the fabulous footwork, new-found punch power and MENSA-level ring IQ.
“I am very confident,” he grinned. “I believe I will win, I believe one billion per cent that I will annihilate him.
“I have never had a doubt, even going to Germany to beat Wladimir Klitshcko.
“Confidence is my biggest asset.
“I would never let that go, I have to be supremely confident and I believe I can beat him with one hand tied behind my back.”
Fury will have to appeal to mainstream fans to sell out Wembley, like Anthony Joshua has twice done.
But he insists he doesn’t care where boxing’s pedantic rankings writers have him in the rich annals, let alone the casuals.
He said: “I always said I never cared what people thought of me or how they rated me, I don’t care if I am No1 or 201.
“Right now is my day in the sun but, when I am done boxing is done for me and I will walk away from the sun with a good tan.
“I have come close to losing and losing everything but every time I have turned it around.
“I started as the brash contender and over-confident kid, I was a disaster waiting to happen.
“Now I have overcome everything, against all the odds, it’s like I have had two careers and this is the best bit. This is a slam dunk.” More
