Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte: adaptable boxer is fancied to win on points

Looking for clues in a fight week is never an easy task. After spending three months locked away in training camp with a ‘keep out’ sign on the door, it would then be odd to give away the gameplan to an opponent. But Tyson Fury might just have done that this week ahead of his WBC heavyweight title defence against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium. 

Fury adaptable

Whyte did not turn up for Tuesday’s open workout, part of his initial reluctance to help promote the fight after a row about the contract. But Fury was there, laughing with the crowd, posing for pictures and having a few rounds on the pads with his trainer Sugarhill Steward. Nothing interesting there, but Fury, an orthodox boxer, did the pads as a southpaw. 

One of Fury’s huge assets is that he is a very adaptable. This is most notable in his three fights with Deontay Wilder – one draw and two wins – as he changed style and tactics for each fight. The first one was boxed at length, the second he adapted to go after Wilder on the front foot and the third time he boxed early on but was forced into a toe-to-toe brawl after the American knocked him down twice in the fourth round. 

Steward admitted that Fury would do what he wanted in the ring. “He might fight him southpaw or orthodox,” Steward said. “He could even stand square on and box him.”  

Fury the man to beat after Wilder win across the pond

Mind games continue

Fury loves his mind games and boxing for a few minutes in public as a left-hander might just be a way of unsettling Whyte’s own gameplan, even though the champion made a convincing case for doing it on Saturday.  

When asked about it, Fury said it was part of the plan. “I might switch,” Fury said. “I think Dillian Whyte is very susceptible to a southpaw. He hasn't fought many. It takes away his left hook. That is his number one punch.” 

Of course, Fury might just be hatching a plan to mess with Whyte's own preparations. He has boxed as a southpaw before, but not in a long time. First there was his 2012 fight with Martin Rogan and then his second win over Derek Chisora two years later. It was effective, if rather dull, with both opponents struggling to lay a glove on him. When he switched to southpaw for a round in his win over Wladimir Klitschko, it almost became a stalemate. 

Since teaming up with Steward ahead of his second fight with Wilder in 2020, Fury has been a much more come forward, aggressive fighter and he has promised more of that here. But while that style worked against Wilder, Whyte is a very different boxer. 

Fury must be wary of Whyte's strengths

Whyte has plenty of power, but not quite the explosive power of Wilder. But he is an all-round more solid fighter, a boxer who is happy to take a shot to give one, one with a good chin. Much has been made of the years he spent waiting for this opportunity, but until his shocking loss to Alexander Povetkin in 2020 (avenged a year later) Whyte built an impressive list of victories. The wins over Robert Helenius, Joseph Parker and Oscar Rivas all read well. 

He has improved too. No longer is he just the brawler he was when stopped by Anthony Joshua. He has a strong jab, power in both hands and can wear opponents down. Indeed, his style is not too dissimilar to Chisora, a man Whyte also beat twice in epic, close encounters. And if being southpaw worked for Fury then, why not now? 

Despite talking up a ding-dong battle, Fury can be pragmatic too. Whyte is likely going to keep coming forward, so if Fury is going to exploit his huge height and reach advantage, the last thing he should be doing is meeting Whyte head on. 

Whyte’s best chance comes from Fury wanting to stand and trade. Fury can also be knocked down as well, he has been off his feet six times in his career and, while he has always got up, it shows that he is not impossible to catch. But if Fury decides to move, Whyte could end up chasing him all night. While that might see him falling into some of Fury’s traps late on, Fury’s predictions of an early win seem overly hopeful.  

And the two know each other well. Whyte was a sparring partner for Fury for several fights around a decade ago. He respects Whyte and won’t be taking this weekend’s title defence lightly. 

Recommended bets

Fury to win and decision @ 3.4

Over 9.5 rounds @ 1.99