Tyson Fury dominates Dillian Whyte and ends matters with explosive uppercut; will he retire?

As they entered a record-breaking showdown at Wembley Stadium, both WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and challenger Dillian Whyte could claim to be reaching the end of a long and winding road. This contest, which set new marks for purse bids and attendance (94,000 people packed the national football stadium), would be Fury’s last, at least according to the defending titlist, who has flirted with retirement several times before. For Whyte, it represented a first world title shot after years spent as either WBC mandatory or their No. 1 contender.

Whyte deserved his chance, of that there can be no doubt. He had not lain idol while awaiting it either, taking risks against the likes of Dereck Chisora and Joseph Parker, not to mention Alexander Povetkin, who poleaxed the Brixton man before getting despatched in the rematch. Dillian was decidedly less forthcoming regarding pre-fight media events, at least until the last week or so, but the issues with Fury’s UK promoter Frank Warren (Top Rank handle Fury Stateside) and the 80-20 purse split in the champ’s favour, ultimately faded into the background. Both warriors earned well, and the winner was guaranteed a bonus of over $4m.

Going in, Fury was a heavy favourite with the bookmakers, largely due not to his impressive resume but his variety and versatility compared with a rival who appeared more straightforward and predictable. Simply put, undefeated Fury, who had shown the ability to box in both stances, and going forward and back, seemed to have the advantage in all but a few areas.

The bookies are rarely wrong and Fury dominated Whyte for almost six rounds, before ending matters with a devastating right uppercut (plus a shove) that temporarily separated Whyte from his senses. Whyte just about beat the count but was glassy-eyed and on unsteady legs. Referee Mark Lyson took a long look, Whyte suddenly lurched to the side and the arbiter rightly waved the contest off.

The lengthy ring walks – replete with a throne, fireworks and lights galore – and national anthem eventually gave way to what everyone wanted to see: an all-British war for Fury’s belt and, in effect, his status as the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in the world.

Whyte shocked pretty much everyone outside his own team by coming out for round one in the southpaw stance. It was a feeling-out opener between fighters who had sparred many years ago. Whyte was busier, if not entirely fluid in the unfamiliar style, Fury landed the few eye-catching blows. Whyte was back to orthodox by the start of the second, Fury switched to leftie briefly and back again. He began to pick his challenger off from range, Whyte swinging wildly at times. Into the next and Whyte was struggling to get close – where he needed the fight to be – without taking punches from the rangier, faster of foot Fury.

It was much of the same in round four. The scant success Whyte enjoyed was to the body, and he attempted to rough Fury up in close, but Fury was invariably in charge from range. It became rather nasty, with holding and hitting on both sides and heads clashing – Whyte was cut outside the right eye. Thankfully, things calmed down in the fifth. Fury maintained the distance well but Whyte was advancing and feinting more than punching. His head movement was consistent but Dillian was not throwing off the slips. Whyte remained reluctant to pull the trigger in the next and was, for me, about to go 5-1 down in rounds at halfway. As it transpired he wouldn’t make it that far.

Whyte may still come again but the big question is whether Tyson Fury follows through on the pre-fight rhetoric and hangs up the gloves. He stuck by his words immediately after the victory but surely he cannot walk away after such an outstanding performance on the biggest stage.