Tyson Fury says Wembley Stadium clash with Dillian Whyte would be ‘special’

Tyson Fury has admitted the prospect of walking out at a sold-out Wembley Stadium would be special after he confirmed his next fight will be in Britain.

The world heavyweight champion is in line to face WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in April after his UK-based promotor Frank Warren won a purse bid to stage the bout last month.

Whyte has until 21 February to sign a contract but is expected to put pen to paper on a fight with his fellow Briton which would give Fury the chance of an overdue homecoming.

Each of the Gypsy King’s last five contests have been in the United States since comeback victories in Manchester and Belfast in 2018.

“If it was Wembley Stadium, it would be a very special moment for me, very special,” Fury told the PA news agency at the announcement of his new Furocity energy drink in London.

“I am told it will be somewhere in Britain. Dillian Whyte is the chosen opponent, he is the mandatory, so he has to sign the contract and then we will get it on.

“It has been a while. I have been busy cracking America and taking over out there. I have been successful but now it is time to come home and give the fans a well-deserved fight at home.”

A bout in Britain would also allow dad John to be in attendance with Fury senior unable to travel to the US due to previous criminal convictions.

He added: “My dad has missed all the America fights because he can’t get in obviously, so it will be good for my dad to be there and be part of the camps as well.”

The pair were at Park Plaza Hotel in Waterloo on Friday to launch Furocity energy drinks, which will go on sale on Wednesday and comes in four different flavours.

Fury is expected to return to the capital in April for his bout with Brixton-based Whyte, who has been vocal in the past about his upcoming opponent but provided radio silence in the weeks since an official announcement about the fight was revealed.

“I am not too concerned about why Dillian is not talking, that is not my business and not my concern but I suppose he knows what is coming,” the 33-year-old from Wythenshawe insisted.

“He has got to deal with a ferocious thunderstorm and he is a little shack who will get tiptoed over along the way but he is a tough opponent.

“I am looking forward to it and will not underestimate the guy. I will give him all the respect he deserves and at the end of the day he is mandatory, ranked number one by the WBC for a reason and I will do my best to get in there and do what I do.”

Tyson Fury on his next fight

At the end of 2019, Fury said in an interview with PA that he could retire after three more fights and this meeting with Whyte will be his third following two dramatic victories over Deontay Wilder.

Yet the coronavirus pandemic forced him out of the ring for 17 months and he still has plenty of motivation left.

Fury admitted: “I feel like I have been preserved with the two years that we had off. I didn’t have any fights so it has prolonged my career again.

“I will take it one fight at a time and see how I feel after the fight. I have had plenty of time to recover from the last Wilder fight but I am feeling good.”

Hopes of a potential undisputed clash with Anthony Joshua in 2021 were rocked after the latter suffered defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September with the Ukrainian now holder of the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.

Fury expects Joshua to lose an anticipated summer rematch with Usyk, which would further damage any pursuit of a future ‘Battle of Britain’.

“Anthony Joshua is a washed up bum these days,” he said.

“He has lost two fights and when he fights Usyk again, he will lose a third fight and then he is finished and done for.

“It is sad it has happened like this but at the end of the day he had to hold up his side of the bargain which was beating whoever they put in front of him.

“I did my end of the bargain, they didn’t so it is unfortunate for them that they are not good enough at world level and fortunate for me that I am.”