TOUGH ROAD TO GLORY
DILLIAN WHYTE has waited and waited in an era when patience is not a virtue, it’s unnecessary. Plenty of fighters have strolled, some even fallen, into world title shots while Whyte has battled a string of decent opponents to earn what is yet to come.
Beginning with a December 2016 points win over Dereck Chisora, Whyte has gone on to defeat Robert Helenius (pts 12), Lucas Browne (ko 6), Joseph Parker (pts 12), Chisora (ko 11), and Oscar Rivas (pts 12). Not quite Murderers’ Row but without question it represents the best heavyweight CV outside of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
The run has not been without problems. Inside the ring one could make a case for Chisora winning their first encounter and Parker had Whyte out on his feet in the dying embers of their swashbuckling firefight. Outside, he’s battled with the World Boxing Council to enforce his title challenge, he opted not to rematch Anthony Joshua in a title fight – always claiming the offer to be lipservice – and the Rivas victory was tainted with a now infamous run-in with UKAD last year. Cleared in December the day before he outpointed Mariusz Wach,
