Hughie Fury's Coach Explains Why They Passed on Dillian Whyte

By Elliot Foster

Dillian Whyte will return to the ring next month.

The Brixton heavyweight has been out of action since last December when he suffered a stoppage defeat at the hands of IBF world champion Anthony Joshua.

But Whyte, whose challenge for the British, Commonwealth and WBC International titles was curtailed inside seven rounds at London’s O2 Arena, is ready to make his comeback following shoulder surgery.

He will come back on June 25, at the aforementioned O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office, as part of the undercard to Joshua’s first IBF heavyweight world title against Dominic Breazeale.

Whyte’s return will be flanked by a domestic super-middleweight dust-up between Martin Murray and George Groves, which promoter Eddie Hearn has said is a final eliminator for the WBA world title.

Elsewhere, Conor Benn will fight for the third time as a professional and John Wayne Hibbert will face Andrea Scarpa for the vacant WBC Silver super-lightweight title.

And there is action for Ted Cheeseman and new Matchroom signing Felix Cash, who will make his debut having left Team GB.

Whyte was recently ordered to face Hughie Fury for the vacant British title. Fury took a pass on the fight and his father/trainer Peter Fury explained why.

Peter Fury then told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview: "You couldn't go into a fight with someone like Dillian Whyte at only 30% and not carrying a lot of power. That's suicide. Even if he was 100% fit, though, we would not want to take the fight with Dillian because I know all of Dillian's people from London and they know us.

"We've got a connection with them and we know them very well so it's not a fight we'd relish taking. We've known them a long time and we class Dillian as a friend. In Hughie's last fight, he didn't feel well going into the fight. We had him checked again and he's got such bad acne - so bad that it's called something else - that it's having an adverse effect on his body, leaving him tired and fatigued.

"We have to get him right. Until I get that right, Hughie will not be facing any world-class opposition. We'll keep him active at a lower level but he's not going to step up with this illness hanging over him. I'd like to say to some of those keyboard warriors out there, who come to me on an hourly basis, that my lads don't duck anybody. They live and breathe fighting. I take care and guide them like anybody needs guiding. Am I going to put my son in serious fights when a Harley Street specialist says to me he has a serious problem? I wouldn't be doing my job."