Other fighters have had to jump seemingly endless hurdles to get what?s theirs and what some have practically handed to them, but the case of Dillian Whyte is the sport?s latest great outrage in that regard.
Since getting stopped in the seventh round of a spirited 2015 effort against then-rising star Anthony Joshua (and buzzing Joshua in the battle), the Jamaica-born Brit has gone 9-0 against mostly high-end competition, has picked up the WBC silver belt, and has firmly established himself as, at worst, a top 5 heavyweight. He also became the WBC?s no. 1 contender, like, nearly two years ago?not that it has helped him any.
Less-accomplished and lower-ranked Dominic Breazeale is set to challenge WBC champ Deontay Wilder on May 18 and it?s hard to hide the fact that it should?ve been Whyte on that main stage.
?I have now been officially ranked number one in the WBC for over 550 days and that coward continues to run from me,? Whyte recently wrote in his weekly column at TalkSport. ?The WBC are protecting Wilder and I don?t know why. Maybe they want the belt to stay in America or something? He?s always talking rubbish, claiming he wants a body on his record and he wants Breazeale?s young son to be there to watch him ?cripple his daddy?. What kind of idiot talks like that and why do the WBC ignore it all? I don?t understand why they persist with him and allow him to dodge me. He?s not a good mouthpiece for the WBC. They should make one of their special belts to muzzle him with.?
There are ?reasons? for the WBC passing over Whyte, the WBC will tell you. Whyte passed up on a ?final eliminator? with Luis Ortiz last year?despite already being in line for the next title opportunity four months prior. Then, plans for a bout with Breazeale for the interim WBC title disintegrated when Tyson Fury signed a co-promotional deal with Top Rank and pulled away from an all-but-signed rematch with Wilder. The Mexico City-based sanctioning body, rather than give Whyte the Fury replacement slot, opted to give it to Breazeale, who had been less active against a lower level of opposition in recent years.
Whyte, who turned down what he deemed a not-serious lowball offer from Team Joshua, did so, in part, because of his high WBC ranking, which should?ve all but guaranteed him a shot at a much more vulnerable champion in Wilder. But that shot has yet to come and there?ve been no signs of the WBC making it come.
?I?ve won so many fights for the WBC, I?ve turned down the Anthony Joshua fight, one of the reasons I turned that down was because of the Breazeale fight and possibly Wilder,? Whyte told Express Sport earlier this month.
?All of a sudden Breazeale is fighting Wilder?I haven?t spoke to the WBC in about three of four weeks, we?ve been emailing and texting and calling with no responses. They were supposed to make a decision two or three weeks ago and nothing, all we hear is nothing.?
But now, the WBC has answered back with?a possible order for one more final eliminator pitting Whyte against Tyson Fury. Will this nonsense ever end?
Something tells me that if Whyte weren?t on a fight-by-fight contract with the Hearns and Matchroom Sports, that if he were ?their? property entirely, he would?ve already had his title shot. Someone would?ve reached in and ?made? it happen for him.
But there is a positive to be snatched from the screwing around of Whyte, something that might actually work to the sport?s benefit. Diminish the stranglehold of power the promoters have on the sport and/or prevent them from being able to sign fighters to long-term deals and the onus turns away from protecting a promoter?s ?investment? to putting on good shows that make fans happy every single time. No more ?put up with this crappy fight while we pursue the one you REALLY want? bait-and-switch hustle.
The Hearns have kept Whyte busy with good, meaningful fights against solid opposition. His upcoming July 20 bout with Oscar Rivas is a good example of the bossmen booking good fights for the sake of making entertainment rather than the pursuit of big scores for their house fighters.
Matchroom hasn?t lost any money doing this with Whyte. Actually, if anything, their matchmaking for him has allowed him to develop into a legitimate world class fighter from the tough, but limited brawler he once was.
That?s somewhat of a silver lining in this dark cloud, right? Maybe someone might learn something from this?
I?m sure, though, that Dillian Whyte couldn?t care less about that silver lining. Bring on his title shot already.
