United States
United Kingdom
Summary
- Dillian Whyte delays signing Tyson Fury fight contract
- Whyte allegedly unhappy over 80/20 prize money split
- Fury’s team willing to negotiate with Whyte
The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered Tyson Fury to fight Dillian Whyte next but so far the two sides have not been able to work out a deal and finalize a date.
While most boxers would be keen on signing a contract and fighting the Gypsy King, Whyte is not rushing to the table.
Whyte Not Keen On Signing Contract
Bob Arum who is the U.S promote for Tyson Fury says Whyte has danced around the contract so far and its likely because he is not happy with how the prize money is going to be split. The current proposition is that Fury takes 80 percent of the prize money and Whyte gets the remaining 20 percent.
That looks like a pretty unfair split on paper but the way the prize money is split is based on the previous purses of each fighter. Tyson Fury is the champ and arguably the biggest draw in the sport which is why his fights generate millions of dollars. Based on what Whyte has earned in his last few fights, the 20 percent that he would make from fighting Fury would justify his previous purses.
However Dillian Whyte and his team are not keen on going with the 80/20 split as he is looking for a 55-45 split. The two camps are required to reach an agreement by Jan 18 failing which the WBC will open it up to other promoters to takeover and make a purse bid for each fighter.
Fury Camp Willing To Negotiate
Bob Arum told the media this week that their side is open to talking with Whyte and working out a deal that seems fair to both parties. Arum did not give any indication if he would agree to the 55-45 split or how far they were willing to go. He said it was best for Whyte to stop playing games, come to the table and talk business.
Arum is keen on staging this fight in the UK as both Fury and Whyte will be able to fight on home soil and give their fans a great heavyweight fight. Arum has also left the door open of fighting other opponents such as Andy Ruiz Jr., if Whyte is not willing to sign the contract.
