DILLIAN WHYTE is fighting for a COVID-19 quarantine exemption so he doesn’t have to be stuck in Brentwood’s Holiday Inn for a fortnight.
The Brixton heavyweight has been in a training camp in Portugal since February, preparing for his August 22 showdown with Russian hardman Alexander Povetkin.
But the country has been severely hit by coronavirus and his plans to return to London ahead of the back-garden brawl have been disrupted.
If Whyte cannot get special permission to return to the UK just a few days before his bout, he faces the miserable prospect of being in lockdown in the budget B&B with uninspiring views of the M25.
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Fight Camp promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We are in discussions about an exemption.
“I believe there will be a number of exemptions for events published this week and we’re on the list of requests.
“If not, there’s nothing he can do and he’ll have to come back two weeks early. It affects him, Katie Taylor because she’s training in America, and Alexander Povetkin. He’s already booked to come, he’s up for it.”
Whyte drove almost 40 hours to his Portuguese bolthole and split from respected trainer Mark Tibbs while out of the country.
And Hearn reckons the WBC interim champ – who has been mandatory challenger for the title Tyson Fury currently holds for over 1000 days – could be depressed by his return to Essex drizzle and 24-7 lockdown.
He said: “He’s in such a good place, he’s been in Portugal since February, he’s in unbelievable shape.
“When you come back into quarantine you’ve got to lock down, it’s not as if you can go to your own gym.
“We’ve built a nice gym and fighters have scheduled their workouts but, even though you’re in the bubble and everyone is safe, you still have to wear masks and PPE.
“He’d have to go to the hotel down the road and stay for 14 days.
“I’ve got to do it for four days and I’m not looking forward to that.”
