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Tyson Fury has revealed that there will be a replacement fighter if Dillian Whyte can't fight on Saturday. It's none other than his friend, Joseph Parker.
This weekend, 'The Gypsy King' and 'The Body Snatcher' are set to clash over Fury's WBC and The Ring heavyweight gold. The bout is one of the biggest in British boxing history, with over 94,000 fans expected to pack into Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
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For certain bouts, when there's a championship on the line, there will be a fighter on stand-by for if one of the headliners falls out. Fury has now revealed who exactly that replacement competitor is, and it's none other than his friend and training partner Joseph Parker.
The 33-year-old discussed the situation in an interview with IFL TV. The reasoning behind his friend being a replacement fighter is that Fury doesn't want to fight a low-ranked athlete. Fury said:
"If Dillian Whyte doesn't fight, I don't want no rookie bum, I want a top-five man. I've stated it, that's it. Joseph Parker is ranked number three, he is the stand-in opponent for the fight. If Dillian Whyte does pull out, I'll pad Joe for the fight, and I'll fight him. It would be an excellent fight, Joe is a former world heavyweight champion and high-rated in all the organizations."
Watch Tyson Fury discuss fighting Joseph Parker below:
Tyson Fury says a Joseph Parker fight would be only business
While Tyson Fury will fight Joseph Parker if it comes to it, he doesn't exactly want to do it.
'The Gypsy King' has discussed his friendship with the New Zealander on multiple occasions. While they first started as training partners, the two have grown close over Fury's last few training camps.
It's because of that relationship that Fury doesn't want to fight Parker. But if it came to it, he would. He noted to iFL TV that it would be strictly business if they had to fight this weekend.
"Not personal, strictly business if this fight happens. We've shook hands on it and agreed that we'd throw it down. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, I want to fight Dillian Whyte. But if it does, we're professional athletes and we understand the risks and the rewards. I'm sure whoever wins, we'll have a beer afterwards."
