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Mike CoppingerESPN
Tyson Fury returns to England to defend his WBC and lineal heavyweight titles against longtime mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte at legendary Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday (ESPN+ PPV, 2 p.m. ET with prelims at 1 p.m. on ESPN+). A U.K. record of 94,000 fans for a boxing event is expected.
Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) weighed in at 264.8 pounds on Friday, almost 13 pounds lighter than he was for his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder in October but still 11 more than Whyte, who came in at 253.25 pounds.
Fury, 33, of Manchester, England, said he could retire after the fight, but if he wins, a potential unification fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship against the winner of the July 23 Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk fight could entice him to stay.
Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) has been the WBC mandatory challenger for more than four years and is finally getting his shot at a major title. He last fought in March 2021, a fourth-round TKO victory in a rematch against Alexander Povetkin. Beyond Povetkin, Whyte, 34, of Jamaica but based in London, has beaten title contenders such as Dereck Chisora (twice), Joseph Parker and Oscar Rivas.
Follow along as Mike Coppinger recaps the action from ringside in London and/or watch the fights on ESPN+ PPV.
Fight in progress: Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte, 12 rounds, for Fury’s WBC heavyweight title
Round-by-round analysis:
Round 1: Dillian Whyte surprisingly starts the fight out of the southpaw stance. The opening round features a lot of jabbing and not much else. Fury takes a close round, 10-9.
Whyte is trying to keep warm in the ring. Fury is still wrapped in a big towel while legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. makes the intros.
Dillian Whyte is already in the ring. Tyson Fury is making his way now. Laura Wright is singing God Save the Queen. Fighter’s introductions are next.
Results:
Essuman outboxes Tetley for decision win
Ekow Essuman retained the British welterweight title along with the Commonwealth welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Darren Tetley in the final undercard bout.
Essuman (17-0, 7 KOs) used his superior athleticism to outbox Tetley (21-3, 9 KOs) over 12 tactical rounds and prevailed via scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112.
The 33-year-old native of Botswana was coming off a sixth-round KO in October. Tetley, 28, of Bradford, England, has now lost three of his last four bouts.
Ball bloodies, stops Lowe in Round 6
In a bloody featherweight battle, Nick Ball handed Isaac Lowe, a good friend of Tyson Fury’s, his second consecutive defeat.
Ball (15-0, 8 KOs) used relentless pressure to wear down Lowe (21-2-3, 6 KOs) in a fight that featured plenty of exchanges and gruesome cuts for both boxers.
The 25-year-old from Liverpool floored Lowe in Round 2 and poured more punishment on throughout before the corner threw in the towel at 1:45 of Round 6.
Lowe, a 28-year-old from Lancaster, England, suffered his first pro defeat in December, a seventh-round KO against Luis Alberto Lopez.
Adeleye shines in TKO of Healey
David Adeleye scored a fourth-round stoppage of journeyman Chris Healey to remain undefeated.
The 25-year-old heavyweight, a native of London, landed a barrage of punches before the referee stepped in to halt the contest at 52 seconds of Round 4.
Adeleye (9-0, 8 KOs), one of Tyson Fury’s sparring partners, hurt his overmatched opponent on several occasions in the showcase bout. Healey (9-9, 2 KOs) has dropped five of his past six bouts.
Younger Fury wins, keeps chance of a Jake Paul fight alive
Tommy Fury, the half-brother of Tyson Fury, remains in the hunt for a fight with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
The 22-year-old light heavyweight floored Daniel Bocianski (10-2, 2 KOs) in Round 5 and bloodied the Poland native throughout the six-round bout. The referee scored the contest 60-54.
Fury (8-0, 4 KOs) was fighting for the first time since August when he competed on a Paul undercard in a prelude to a December meeting with the social media star. However, Fury withdrew from the pay-per-view main event against Paul after he was diagnosed with a chest infection.
It’s unclear if the bout will be revisited.
Itauma goes to 7-0 with TKO win
Karol Itauma, with a second-round TKO of Michal Ciach, improved to 7-0 (with five knockouts) in the final undercard bout before the ESPN+ PPV begins.
Itauma, a 21-year-old Englishman, connected with a right hook that floored Ciach, prompting the referee to wave off the light heavyweight contest at 2:27 of Round 2.
Ciach (2-12, 1 KO), a 30-year-old from Poland, dropped his fourth consecutive bout.
Barney-Smith dominates Radoi to stay unbeaten
Royston Barney-Smith remained undefeated to kick-off the ESPN+ undercard of Fury-Whyte.
The 18-year-old southpaw, in just his second professional fight, outpointed Constantin Radoi via shutout after the referee scored the bout 40-36.
Barney-Smith, who signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, said Thursday that he aims to become the youngest junior lightweight champion in British history. Radoi (0-11), a 23-year-old native of Romania, put up little resistance over the four-round showcase bout.