Dillian Whyte to fight Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium on April 23

Dillian Whyte will challenge WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on April 23 – with Wembley Stadium hosting the clash.

Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, March 2. The event will be broadcast in the UK on BT Sport Box Office.

The show will be promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank. They outbid Matchroom Boxing for the rights to stage the contest.

Brixton’s Whyte is seen as a big underdog with Fury widely regarded as the leading fighter in the weight class after emphatic and impressive back-to-back demolitions of Deontay Wilder.

Warren said: “”Tyson Fury coming home to fight under the arch at Wembley Stadium is a fitting reward for the number one heavyweight in the world following his exploits across the Atlantic in his epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder.

“The fact that this mandatory defence of his WBC title comes against another Brit only adds to the occasion. They are two of the biggest characters in British sport and both normally have plenty to say for themselves.

“It is going to be an incredible night and a huge occasion for sport in this country that will capture the imagination of fans right across the world.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum added: “Tyson Fury conquered America, and it is only fitting that he defends the heavyweight championship in a packed Wembley Stadium.

“Dillian Whyte has called for this fight for years, and while he is a deserving challenger, no heavyweight can match ‘The Gypsy King.’ This is going to be a momentous night of boxing with tens of thousands of fans in attendance at Wembley Stadium.”

Morecambe-based Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) has held the lineal heavyweight title since November 28, 2015, the night he ended the nearly decade-long championship run of Wladimir Klitschko.

Following more than two years of inactivity, he returned to action in June 2018, a comeback that saw him fighting for the world title within six months of his June 2018 comeback victory over Sefer Seferi in Manchester. The only blemish on his record — a disputed December 2018 draw against Wilder — was avenged with stoppage wins over the American star in February 2020 and October 2021. The Dillian Whyte showdown marks his first bout in London since February 2015.

Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs), who was raised in Brixton, London, earned a shot at Fury with a seven-year run as a world-level heavyweight.

Following a seventh-round TKO loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015 — when both were undefeated prospects — Whyte went on an 11-fight winning streak that included triumphs over Joseph Parker, Oscar Rivas, Lucas Browne, and Derek Chisora (twice).

His momentum, and mandatory position, was halted when Alexander Povetkin knocked him out with a single left uppercut in August 2020. Whyte exacted revenge in March 2021, knocking out Povetkin in four rounds to regain his interim title.

PICTURE: MATCHROOM BOXING