HALL-OF-FAME promoter Frank Warren has responded to Tyson Fury’s sensational Lockdown Lowdown interview where he declared he’d beat “cash cow” Anthony Joshua and called WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte a “stocky plodder”.
Fury also suggested, in comments picked up by the national press, that by beating AJ he would be landing a potentially fatal blow to Joshua’s promoters.
Whilst Fury’s promoter Warren was coy on the effect a huge Tyson victory over AJ would have on his business rivals, he was keen to point out Queensberry had no concerns about their own future.
“At Queensberry we couldn’t be happier with our hand” he said, “We’ve got the number one Heavyweight in World Boxing, Tyson Fury, and we’ve got the next big superstar in Daniel Dubois.”
Warren has long hailed ‘Dynamite’ as the future of the Heavyweight division and recently caused a stir when he insisted he’d happily match the youngster with Deontay Wilder right away and still be confident of a KO victory for Dubois.
“We’ve got this 22 year old kid in Daniel Dubois and he’s top ten with the organising bodies, The Ring magazine have today said he’s ‘on the cusp’ of their Top Ten.
“He’s the hottest prospect in boxing and he’s knocking on the door of the big boys already.
“I’ve said it before, he’ll have a world title shot within a year or two.”
Stablemate Fury clearly shares Warren’s assessment of Dubois and the threat he poses to the “big boys”, telling the Lockdown Lowdown that domestic rival Dillian Whyte should be less concerned about his mandatory WBC title shot and instead focused on the growing threat of ‘Dynamite’.
He said: “When the time comes, I’ll put him (Whyte) in his place. Until then I think he’ll have plenty more to worry about with the likes of Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce and Povetkin who he’s fighting next.”
Asked whether he’d consider Whyte as an opponent for Dubois, Warren wasted no time in saying “absolutely” but says he understands Dillian’s frustration at not getting a world title shot.
“It’s incredible what’s happened with him really. He was ranked number one with the WBO for God knows how long, ranked number one with the WBC and he’s just not got the fights. If I were him, I’d be asking the question… ‘Why hasn’t my promoter been able to get me those fights?’
“He’s on about suing the WBC, but they don’t seem to be the problem.
“It’s remarkable, really. I can’t think of another British fighter who’s been left out to dry as much as him. He was in the same stable as the WBO Champion and still couldn’t get a shot.
“You can see why he’s upset. He doesn’t feel he’s been looked after. At this point, Dillian must be wondering if he’s ever going to get a world title shot over there.”
Warren was clear that if Whyte was fighting under his banner, the situation would be different.
“If Dillian was with me, he would have fought for a world title by now”, he added.
Comparing Whyte’s fortunes to that of Tyson Fury, whose astonishing comeback was masterminded by Warren, he said: “I had Tyson Fury fighting for a world title within 6 months of signing with him, we kept him nice and active and then got him the Wilder fight.
“Look what’s happened since, Tyson is an absolute global superstar on the verge of the biggest contract in boxing history.”
Reverting back to his confidence in the future of Queensberry Promotions, Warren ended by saying simply: “We always look to do the best job for our fighters and give them the best chance for success at world level and to make good money for them and their families.
“That’s why we think we’re in such a good place going forward.”
