Dillian Whyte’s tough time with the WBC!
When it comes to rocky relationships in boxing, the WBC sanctioning body and Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte (25-1, 18 KO’s) are at the top of the list!
The formidable British boxer and revered organization have continued to tussle back and forth. At the heart of the matter, Whyte believes he should be WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s one and only mandatory after holding the #1 position and capturing the silver title almost two years ago.
However up to this point, the WBC does not agree.
Saboteur WBC
The long, cantankerous odyssey began way back on October 28, 2017, when Whyte toppled Robert Helenius. That match was for the vacant WBC Silver Heavyweight title.
At that point, “The Body Snatcher” thought he was in prime position to face Wilder as the legitimate mandatory. Regardless of his feelings, the coveted designation was awarded to Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (20-1, 18 KO’s).
Since becoming silver champion, Whyte has fought three more WBC sanctioned bouts and several eliminators all to no avail.
Recently, it was revealed by the WBC that they have made a new ruling on the matter. Yet, before anything can proceed further, Team Whyte has to grant their approval by signing off on the ruling.
Whyte’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has already publicly ridiculed the motion. Much like “The Body Snatcher”, Hearn feels that Whyte should have received the mandatory slot long ago.
Saboteur Whyte
It is true that the WBC has had Whyte jumping through hoops. However, it’s also true that he has done himself no favors. During this same period of time, he has turned down a number a significant fights.
While positioning himself to become mandatory, Whyte snubbed opportunities to face Luis Ortiz, Dominic Breazeale and IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (22-0, 21 KO’s).
On the surface, it’s no shock that the Ortiz bout was vetoed. Ortiz is generally viewed as being too much risk for too little reward.
The one sticking point with the Ortiz match however, was that the bout was ordered by the WBC. Whyte opted to face Joseph Parker instead. Walking away from the Ortiz match was a bit puzzling. Turning down the Breazeale and Joshua bouts were also two more moments that warranted a bit of head scratching.
Joshua is a champion, and commands the most belts. Beating “AJ” would instantly make Whyte the “big dog on the block.” His rationale was he wanted to fight Wilder, who is only in possession of his single WBC strap.
Whyte’s evasion of the Breazeale fight also makes little rationale sense. “The Body Snatcher” has been clamoring for the mandatory position and Breazeale has been the consistent roadblock. Had Whyte fought and beat him, “Trouble” would have been relegated to a “non-factor.” He chose otherwise.
In Conclusion
Therefore, while the WBC has been guilty of playing with Whyte’s emotions, the #1 contender has helped add to his own frustrations.
By: Bakari Simpson
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