Eddie Hearn Disputes Questions of Foul Play On Nixed Dillian Whyte v Otto Wallin Bout
When WBC “interim” world heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) pulled out of a scheduled October 30 match against Otto Wallin (22-1, 14 KOs), it raised the collective eyebrows of fans. The official reason was due to an injured shoulder. However, many are screaming foul, wondering aloud if there is an ulterior motive at play.
Some question if the real motive was to free up Whyte for a shot against the WBC heavyweight king, Tyson Fury. Comments on various boxing message boards question the timing of this decision. Speaking to iFL TV, Whyte’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, pushed back against the speculations. He said the intent was not to withdraw. The motive was to stay sharp before any potential bout against Fury, but the shoulder became progressively worse over time. According to the promoter, this hurts everyone involved.
“There’s no mucking around on the injury at all. He’s not fit to fight, that’s the truth… He cannot physically fight next week, and he did everything he could to try and be in that ring but had to make a decision. He didn’t even make a decision, his doctors did.”
TALKING WITH FORKED TONGUE
Wallin’s promoter, Dmitry Salita, is outraged and has petitioned the WBC to reschedule the contest. When asked about Salita crying foul, the CEO of Matchroom Boxing seemed to let the cat out of the bag. He views Wallin as an option but then reveals what he believes is up next for Whyte.
“That’s our option on me. So, I’m not ruling out that fight… There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with the lawyers and stuff like that, but I would think that Dillian Whyte’s next fight will be Tyson Fury.”
One moment, he’s willing to reschedule. Then in the next breath, he believes Whyte’s next fight will be for the WBC heavyweight strap. Truthfully, Hearn is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. All this does is add fuel to those who are cynical about this entire matter.
Whyte and Hearn will likely move on and try to secure a fight with Fury. Can you be outraged at Hearn? Not totally. After all, he has to look out for his fighter, first and foremost. Nothing is fair, especially in boxing. It’s the latest example of the cruel and ugly nature of the sport behind the scenes.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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