February 22, (THEWILL) – Just hours before the stipulated deadline, Dillian Whyte inked a contract to fight WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, in a bout set to take place on April 23 at Wembley Stadium.
As the WBC’s number-one-ranked contender, Whyte had been waiting for years for an opportunity at Fury’s WBC belt. The 33-year-old challenger had until 7:00 am local time on Tuesday to sign the contract, after he had spent the weekend and Monday hammering out the terms.
“Dillian Whyte signed his contract for $8m, what a surprise”, Fury said on social media. “The man’s signed for the biggest payday he’s going to get in his life.”
Fury added later in a video shared with his followers: “I’m about to go off social media completely for the next eight and a half weeks. I’m going into training camp to give Dillian Whyte all the respect in the world he needs. I’ll never underestimate anyone in my life.
“Don’t phone me, call me, email me, text me or try to contact me in any way as I am out of bounds until May. I’ll be training away. Please respect my privacy and space. See you all at the press conference.”
Also 33, Fury will receive 80% of the prize, or about £20 million, with Whyte receiving the remaining 20%.
Whyte had been lobbying for a higher split of the purse proposal, but the £5.6 million he will be guaranteed will be his highest payment to date, just as Fury teased. Furthermore, the winner will receive an additional £3.1 million.
Since signing a promotional deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Fury has not fought in the UK, with his last fight at home being the August 2018 win over Francesco Pianeta. Prior to this Whyte fight, he had only fought in the US.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
