It all goes down later today (Sat., April 23, 2022) live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Wembley Stadium in London, England, when Tyson Fury (31-0-1, 22 KO) puts his WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles on the line in a potential retirement fight against Dillian Whyte (28-2, 19 KO).
What’s Hot:
It’s no secret that this event is completely centered around the main event title fight between Fury and Whyte. They are two of the best heavyweight fighters in the world today and were likely going to meet at one point or another. While some boxing fans would have liked to see “Gypsy King” compete against Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua, “Body Snatcher” is a great consolation prize. He’s a heavy hitter who will not shy away from Fury’s overwhelming size or movement. It should be a competitive contest to say the least, but Fury is obviously the odds-on favorite to retain his heavyweight title and keep his perfect boxing record in tact.
That said, this main event fight encompasses a little more than just the heavyweight title. It is expected to be the final professional fight for Fury after putting together one of the more memorable boxing careers of the past 25 years. Fury has made it known that he would be open to competing in crossover bouts down the line, but this is apparently his final appearance in a professional fight.
Co-Attraction:
While most eyes will be on “Gypsy King” as he makes his final walk to the ring later today it should be noted that Tommy Fury will be fighting on the PPV main card as well. The 22-year-old reality TV star has made good on his boxing career thus far turning in an undefeated record of 7-0. Fury, who is a staggering -2200 favorite for Saturday’s fight, will be matched up against Polish light heavyweight Daniel Bocianski, who is 10-1 in 11 trips to the ring.
What makes this matchup even more interesting is if Fury wins he’s likely to callout Jake Paul for an anticipated matchup later this year. Remember, the two were scheduled to fight back in December before Fury pulled out of the fight. He was replaced by former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who fought Paul in a rematch and got finished with a devastating sixth-round knockout.
Interest Level: 9/10
It would have been nice to see a little more star power spread out across the PPV main card, especially for a price tag of $69.99, but seeing Fury compete in his final boxing match is worth the cost of admission alone. Fight fans may feel ripped off if Fury decides to continue his boxing career, but that’s a chance we must be willing to take. He’s that special of a fighter.
As for the fight itself, Whyte is a solid opponent that should keep Fury busy from bell to bell. Whyte has been finished twice in his professional career, but that came against top tier talent in Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin. Fury should have an early advantage with his reach and movement, but Whyte packs serious power and could create some danger for the champion throughout the fight.
Main card (2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV)
- Heavyweight: Tyson Fury (c) vs. Dillian Whyte
- Welterweight: Ekow Essuman vs. Darren Tetley
- Featherweight: Isaac Lowe vs. Nick Ball
- Heavyweight: David Adeleye vs. Chris Healey
- Light Heavyweight: Tommy Fury vs. Daniel Bocianski
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of “Fury vs. Whyte” right HERE. The ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) main card begins at 2 p.m. ET, while Fury and Whyte will make their ring walks around 5 p.m. ET.
For more on “Fury vs. Whyte” and other boxing-related events click here.