Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, in conjunction with Top Rank, have emerged as the biggest bidders for the promotion of the Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte fight in 2022.
The purse reveal came just after 6pm GMT on Friday, 28 January and Warren’s organisation had outbid Matchroom, run by Eddie Hearn, by around $9m (£6.7m).
In total, Warren’s bid came to $41,025,000, a prize purse which will be split between the two fighters - heavily weighted in the favour of Fury. Matchroom’s bid was $32,222,222.
A predetermined split meant 80% of the purse goes to Fury, amounting to just over $32.8m - a career-high for the WBC champion. Whyte, in turn, will rake in $8.2m for taking part - though reports suggest his promoter Hearn is unhappy with the split and will appeal the decision, made by the WBC.
The fight must take place by 29 April and it is likely that both fighters will earn additional revenue from the pay-per-view takings to broadcast the fight, likely on BT Sport in the UK. ESPN’s Mike Coppinger reported that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium is the likely venue being considered at present.
Tyson Fury posted on Twitter to announce that the “Gypsy King is coming home” as he prepares for his first fight in the UK since he beat Francesco Pianeta in Belfast, back in 2017.
There have been back-and-forth comments made by both camps in the lead-up to the purse reveal, with Fury posting several videos claiming he was fed-up waiting for agreements to be made and suggesting the other fighters involved in a four-way discussion - Whyte, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk - were scared to face him.
“Joshua is a coward, Usyk’s a p**** and Dillian Whyte don’t want to fight, so if you can prove me wrong, get to f***ing fighting,” he said on camera earlier this week. “You’re all cowards, you’re all bum dossers, either fight or do one you pack of wet lettuces.”
He also claimed Eddie Hearn and Joshua were “the worst damn businessmen in history” and “lost $90m” as a result of failed negotiations over a step-aside which would have seen Fury fight Usyk instead, in a unification encounter.
After last-minute negotiations again failed to see Joshua and Whyte agree deals for that to happen, Fury labelled it “greed” on their part for demanding more money.
As a result, Fury will now fight mandatory challenger Whyte, while Joshua and Usyk will face their rematch after the Ukrainian won in September.
