DILLIAN WHYTE will accept the 80-20 split for the Tyson Fury fight if his court case against the WBC does not get it boosted.
Brixton’s 33-year-old heavyweight has been offered the minimal purse percentage despite his status as interim champion and mandatory challenger.
Whyte’s team, including promoter Hearn, are furious with the WBC’s decision and have launched another arbitration against them.
And Hearn expects that to kybosh the purse bids that were scheduled for Mexico City on January 11.
The Matchroom boss said: “There is a lot going on legally behind the scenes with Dillian and the WBC, we are not at all happy with the 80-20 split ruling and there is a process now that we have to go through to object.
“He would accept it once an arbitration or court has taken place because he feels very strongly.
“He feels 80-20 is not fair but if the Court of Arbitration decides it is then I think he will proceed.
“The offers that have come to Dillian so far have not been acceptable. But the number we bid at purse bids probably will be, so he is in no rush to take unfair deals.
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“But we expect the split to be increased via the process we are going through.”
And Hearn reckons the latest case Team Whyte have launched against the sanctioning body will mean Tuesday’s purse bid is actually cancelled, leaving this all-English grudge match to stew even longer.
“I expect it to be delayed,” he said. “I don’t see how it can go ahead, with the arbitration case ongoing.
“I absolutely think the fight will happen, even at 80-20 and it’s not about Dillian’s split, it is about the valuation of the fight and that will help us win the purse bid.
“But I think that will be delayed because of the arbitration – but that is down to the WBC.”
Fury’s UK promoter Frank Warren has revealed the Gypsy King has decided to fight again on March 26 – with or without the green and gold belt – and Whyte has to decide soon if he wants to be his date.
But rival match maker Hearn believes it’s just a ploy to bully Whyte into taking the disappointing deal.
He said: “The danger is Fury boxes on March 26 and it won’t be Dillian because the case is ongoing. But that is just to put pressure on Dillian to take a poor deal.
“Tyson might want to shelve the WBC belt and just defend his Ring Magazine belt but that could have legal implications with the arbitration case. It is a bit of a mess.
“If I am Fury – and I’m not fighting Usyk – then I would fight Whyte because it is the biggest money fight out there for him and it gets rid of his mandatory.
“But (US promoter) Bob Arum and Frank Warren won’t want to pay the money that we think Dillian Whyte is worth to that fight.
“Until they do that there will be no deal and they will try to get a cheap opponent for March.”
- What do we know so far about Fury vs Whyte? All the date, venue and TV info as it is revealed
