Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions Bids 41 Million Dollars To Secure Fury vs. Whyte Heavyweight Title Bout, Biggest WBC Purse Bid in History
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
London, UK (January 29th, 2022)– The Tyson Fury versus challenger Dillian Whyte World Boxing Council and lineal World heavyweight title bout will be coming soon to a Pay-Per-View screen near you in Spring 2022. Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will not be promoting it. Promoter Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions has bid over 41 million dollars, the largest World Boxing Council titular purse bid in WBC history, to nail down the Fury versus Whyte scheduled 12 round bout and fight card. Fury versus Whyte is the fight of the moment.
Owing to the coronavirus Pandemic and the rise and spread of the Omicron Variant and Omicron Stealth Sub Variant, which have overtaken the Delta Variant worldwide, cannot be ignored, the concept of staging a bout between two combatants from the same country makes perfect sense now. The glitch is the United Kingdom has shut boxing down, at least for the moment, in the moment of January 2022. What happens in February 2022 and thereafter is in the hands of the Gods. Quarantine and visa issues have created havoc for promoters of fight cards that are attempted, making cards somewhat difficult to stage unless a traveling foreign fighter is already inside the host country, vaccinated, cleared and approval. So home country fight cards are perhaps most workable at this time in the midst of the Pandemic, whereby fighters, corners and officials have to clear the next hurdle of testing negative for the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus ongoing. Whatever it is, it is reality, and reality has to be dealt with in the present moment.
Warren will co-promote the bout with Bob Arum’s Top Rank. Whyte held out for more money. The bottom line, though, is the fight and the fight card itself is doable, promotable and sellable to the worldwide public, both in the selected stadium setting and / or by Pay-Per-view television sports feed. Even with limited live attendance, Fury is pro boxing’s biggest draw in the post-Floyd era. Fury versus Whyte for big chow is going to happen.
Warren, in his newest interview, claimed a slightly higher amount. “It was an offer of 42 million (dollars), which just shows our (promotional group and Fury’s) commitment to the Gypsy King,” Warren said to the Daily Star. The actual amount on the table is $42,025,000, the winning bid. “He (Fury) needs to be (remain) active, and he will be back in the ring soon now.”
Fury, 31-1-2 with 22 knockouts, Henderson, Nevada, by way of Manchester, United Kingdom, has been out of the ring since October 2021, when he knocked out Deontay Wilder in their spectacularly hard fought trilogy bout. Whyte, “The Body Snatcher”, 28-2 with 19 knockouts, Brixton, London, United Kingdom has been out of action since March 2021 at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar, when he stopped Alexander Povetkin in the fourth round of their rematch. Whyte having been knocked out in the fifth round by Povetkin in their first meeting in October 2020, his vulnerability makes him a desired opponent, despite his record. There will be an announcement next week on the set date and the venue in the UK.
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