Dillian Whyte fears he’ll have to wait 1,200 days for shot at Deontay Wilder’s WBC title
DILLIAN WHYTE fears he may have to wait a total of 1,200 DAYS before he gets a crack at the world heavyweight title.
The Brit is now WBC mandatory challenger to champion Deontay Wilder after surviving a ninth-round knockdown to outpoint Colombian Oscar Rivas at London’s O2.
The WBC have promised Whyte a title shot by May 2020, but with Wilder set for his rematch with Tyson Fury in February, that already looks unlikely.
And Whyte, 31, said: “This is boxing, people talk a lot but when it comes to it, not a lot gets done.
“I’m the mandatory challenger now but I’ve already been the No 1 contender for over 600 days.
“Maybe being mandatory means I have to wait another 600 days?
“I’m doing everything I can. I’m not hiding from anybody. I’ve won every fight they have asked me to win, eliminator after eliminator.
“Who knows what will happen, we’ll see. I will fight again in November or December and then we’ll see what happens.”
His unanimous points victory over the unbeaten Rivas earned Whyte the WBC interim heavyweight title.
It was his tenth win in a row following the only defeat of his career to Anthony Joshua in 2015.
The Londoner took control after hurting his opponent with an explosive right in the second round.
But he was floored in the ninth by a huge Rivas uppercut before recovering, with the judges scoring the bout 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111 in Whyte’s favour.
Whyte was made the WBC’s No 1 contender in November 2017, but Wilder was then allowed to face a washed-up Bermane Stiverne, an aging Luis Ortiz, ring-rusty Tyson Fury and an out-of-his-depth Dominic Breazeale.
‘GIVE LENNOX LEWIS A CALL’
The 33-year-old is now rematching with Ortiz before giving the Gypsy King a justified re-run after their thrilling draw.
And Whyte will not wait around for his shot, with the Jamaica-born bruiser now set for a winter showdown before enjoying Christmas.
After five gruelling and spectacular fights on the spin, he insisted he has earned one tune-up fight just to keep the cobwebs off.
Whyte added: “This mandatory shot is a while away and I want to be busy and fight at this level.
“I will fight a tomato can next, they can dig me someone easy up.
“Maybe they can give Lennox Lewis a call and see if he wants to come out of retirement.”
SOR-ING BACK
Dereck Chisora wants a shot at Joseph Parker after his stunning knockout victory over Poland’s Artur Szpilka.
The Finchley 35-year-old won in style — and celebrated by buying 100 Five Guys meals for his fans.
New Zealand’s former WBO world champion Parker is now aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn.
Chisora said: “Me and Joseph Parker will sell out an arena in either London or Manchester, it doesn’t matter which.
“It will just be a hell of a fight. It’ll be a massacre, a bloodbath.
“Eddie just needs to pay me some big money for it.
“I fight for myself and my family and I really cannot get enough of it. Next we want Joseph Parker.”