Dillian Whyte explains why he has to rank Tyson Fury ahead of himself as the No.1 heavyweight – but not A

Dillian Whyte explains why he has to rank Tyson Fury ahead of himself as the No.1 heavyweight – but not A
Football

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte admits Tyson Fury has to be considered the best boxer in the division because the Gypsy King is the only man to hold all the belts.

Boxing fans remain desperate for an all-British showdown between Fury and Anthony Joshua, with hopes that Whyte could finally get his long-awaited title shot against the winner if the fight ever happens.

The trio make up the top three of Ring Magazine’s esteemed heavyweight rankings, with Fury top, Joshua second, and Whyte third.

Whyte holds the WBC ‘interim’ belt and is mandatory for Fury

Mark Robinson/Matchroom

Whyte holds the WBC ‘interim’ belt and is mandatory for Fury

Asked to rank the three of them, Whyte said: “I’ll admit you have to say Fury ahead of me, then you’d say Joshua.

“Fury’s the only guy who has won all the belts, even though he didn’t defend them after he beat Klitschko.

“So you have to say him. He went to Germany and beat Klitschko in his prime. He went to America and beat Deontay Wilder, knocking him out the second time and I believe he beat him the first time.

“Facts are facts and I’m a factual guy. You have to say he’s the best heavyweight around at the minute because he’s the only one who’s done things like that.

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“Joshua should’ve fought Wilder years ago, but he didn’t. Fury came back after all of his problems and beat Wilder.”

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown plans for the heavyweight division into disarray, with Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev and Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin, both postponed after originally being scheduled for the coming months.

Meanwhile, Fury’s third bout with Wilder is expected to be moved from July to October.

Whyte is technically next in line to face Fury as the WBC’s mandatory challenger, although this was not due until February 2021 and looks set to be pushed back even further, extending The Body Snatcher’s long wait for a title shot.