Dillian Whyte tells Sky Sports about why a stormy build-up with Lucas Browne will not bring out his old reckless self in a high-risk heavyweight fight.
Whyte is used to swift judgement, almost weary of the watching crowd who are expecting him to launch into another furious exchange with Browne ahead of Saturday’s fight at The O2, live on Sky Sports.
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“I’m not a bad person. Some people may beg to differ, but I’m not a bad person, I’m a real person,” says Whyte, who is eager to display his genuine qualities outside and inside the ring, with American TV network HBO broadcasting a bout that will likely lead to a world title fight.
Billed as ‘The Body Snatcher’ from Brixton, he at times embraces this fearsome image, aiming an expletive-strewn tirade at Browne during an x-rated press conference.
Whyte became embroiled in a crude exchange with Browne at a press conference
But Whyte was irritated with himself, accepting that he had justified those who have already formed opinions about him.
“I was a bit annoyed and a bit upset about a few things that I said to him, but he was trying to make me seem like the bad guy,” says Whyte, who kept a tight grip on his emotions while sat opposite Browne for their subsequent appearance on ‘The Gloves Are Off.’
But Whyte kept his composure on The Gloves Are Off, available On Demand
“I realised that is what his tactic was, I pulled it back. I was calm, and I addressed it, and dealt with it a certain way.”
Whyte has battled his way up the rankings to within touching distance of a shot at WBC champion Deontay Wilder, despite lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery in the wake of a brutal battle with Anthony Joshua.
Challengers with a lesser pedigree have already experienced lucrative fights for a world title, but the WBC No 1 ranked contender is willing to wait a little longer for his shot at the biggest prize.
He said: “I understand that – this is boxing – and there’s lots of politics. It’s a beautiful sport, we love the sport. There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t know about and people don’t understand about.
“You just have to be as calm as you can, and take it in your stride, and deal with it as you go, because boxing is a frustrating sport, and that’s what I’ve learned as I’ve got older.
“I realise you have to control the situation, and don’t let the situation control you. If this situation is in control of you, then it’s dangerous, and you end up in trouble.”
Whyte looks ahead to this Saturday's fight with Browne
As Whyte approaches his seventh year as a professional, the 29-year-old has tried to exercise greater discipline over his body and mind, partly due to regular sessions with sports scientists at Loughborough University.
“I understand more, I’ve matured more, I’m exposed to more things that I wasn’t exposed to,” he said. “When I came on the scene I was just a young, hungry guy from Jamaica, living out of Brixton, training, doing it by myself.
“Now I’m around more scientific people. They are taking a more scientific approach, different things. My life is a little bit better, a bit more improved.
“Everything is about level and understanding, and I’m understanding more now. It took me a long time, but better late than never.”
There is still the occasional ‘little dispute’ with Tibbs, according to Whyte, but he puts that down to a shared passion for success, and the heavily tattooed Browne now stands in their way.
The Australian former doorman has confidently predicted that he only needs a single brutal punch to end Whyte’s ambitions.
“He’s said a lot of nasty things and whatever, but maybe it’s just innocence and ignorance. I don’t know,” said Whyte.
“Maybe he feels that he needs to portray a hard man image. Hence the tattoos, the shaved head, the always aggressive behaviour.
“Maybe he just feels that’s what he needs to do to get opponents to fear him, or maybe that’s a way of him hiding his insecurities, I don’t know.”
But there are no insecurities in Whyte’s mind as he finally recognises his role in the sport, and knows another brave victory will continue his pursuit of Wilder, Joshua, and hard-earned respect.
“When I’m done, I want them to say ‘Dillian Whyte, a warrior, he fought anyone, never ducked anyone, and was always ready to go’.”
Watch Dillian Whyte against Lucas Browne, on Saturday, March 24 at The O2, live from 7pm on Sky Sports Action.
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Sourse: skysports.com
