Boxing Hall of Fame George Foreman gives his thoughts on Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte which will be streamed live on ESPN+ PPV.
This Saturday, the WBC & Ring Magazine heavyweight titles will be on the line in front of 94,000 plus at Wembley Stadium in London, U.K. Tyson Fury (31-0-1) will be putting his titles and undefeated record on the line against top contender Dillian Whyte (28-2).
The lead-up to this Saturday has been strange, to say the least, as everything from Whyte not showing up initially to promote the fight to Fury publicly saying this would be his last one has occurred. Nevertheless, it’s a heavyweight championship fight, and that still means it commands the attention of both purists and casual fans. With that being said, it was only right to reach out to someone who is very familiar with the position that both men find themselves in, and that is former two-time heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer George Foreman.
The 73-year-old Foreman has been enjoying the fruits of his labor for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in tune with what is going in with the sport, especially the heavyweight division. With Whyte not promoting the fight publicly up until Wednesday’s presser, there was some curiosity about what someone like Foreman would think about those actions. Foreman told FanSided, “It’s not like he is afraid, but it’s more so someone like his manager telling him not to do it. He’s probably doing it to make people wonder. It will not work on Tyson Fury because he is one of the best ones to ever do it.”
Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will be defending his title against Dillian Whyte on Saturday, April 23 live on ESPN+ PPV, 2 p.m ET/ 11 a.m PT.
One of the other topics that come into play with this promotion is Fury saying that this is his last fight. Those within the boxing circles know that it’s hard to keep that fire inside going once you have one foot out of the door. Foreman knows a thing or two about that and said, “That’s a hard thing. Once you’ve accomplished everything and you step up for a fight, especially a few days before, you ask yourself, ‘what in the world am I doing this for?’
Foreman continued, “You have some money set aside, be the world’s heavyweight champion, do the impossible, and then there’s that one match you step in the ring and don’t know why you are doing it. That’s scarier than anything, and I think if (Tyson)Fury is not careful, he could be there right now. You can fight like I don’t know what, but when the cat isn’t in the corner, he can’t scratch (laughs). “The biggest question mark going into Saturday will be if Fury was as dedicated as he was for the last three Deontay Wilder fights.
Going into this fight week, many have questioned the promotion here in the U.S as it seems like the buzz isn’t where it should be, but the Hall of Famer Foreman feels differently about the matchup. “I think it’s a great heavyweight matchup. Tyson Fury is in that place where he has conquered everything, so it’s hard to stay motivated. That is the worst thing in the world: getting in the ring and not knowing why you are there, but he has the ability, size, and strength to win it all with no problem. He just has to find the motivation to do it,” Foreman told FanSided.
Foreman had two separate careers in boxing, which led to him capturing the heavyweight crown, so what Fury is going through is nothing new to him. He understands Fury’s position and what he needs to do to earn the victory on Saturday.
As we approached the end of the interview, Foreman had one last thought on Fury vs. Whyte and who he thinks will win the fight. Foreman exclusively told FanSided:
“You get to that mountain top, and many of us don’t know what to do. He (Fury) has all of the physical abilities and the heart, so there is no reason he shouldn’t win, but things like mentioning retirement could be his biggest fault. Every fight has to be ‘I have to win’ and having that young heart. He brought that young heart to the U.S, and he beat everybody. You lose that young tiger heart; you’ll lose the fight.” Foreman continued, “I see him (Fury) winning this one because he has more ability than the other guy (Whyte). The other guy is not the athlete and boxer that Fury is. He is just not. I see him (Fury) winning the fight but on points, and if the guy (Whyte) gives him one break, he will knock him out.”
