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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Donald McRae

Tyson Fury is rightly wary but Dillian Whyte win would be a seismic shock

Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte come face to face at the weigh-in before their WBC heavyweight title fight
Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte come face to face at the weigh-in before their WBC heavyweight title fight. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte will enter the ring at Wembley Stadium just after 10pm on Saturday night with mutual respect for each other and the brutal uncertainties of heavyweight boxing. “We’re big men,” Whyte said a week ago at his training camp in Portugal, “and when one big heavyweight catches the other guy clean all plans and predictions go out the window. I know Tyson is the best heavyweight out there but I have been through so much to get this fight. I also know I can hurt him. I know I can beat him.”

A couple of days later, in the shadow of the huge arena where Fury will defend his WBC title against his British challenger, the world champion and undoubted favourite was just as blunt and respectful. “Dillian’s definitely a fearless guy. I’ve sparred him a lot in the past and he didn’t show any weaknesses. So I’m anticipating a good fight, a real tough fight, because Dillian is a strong heavyweight who is in the top five in the world. He poses a real challenge, as do all these heavyweights. It only takes one punch to knock a man out as we’ve seen many times. So I’m not underestimating him. I’ve trained like a Trojan warrior.”

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