Dillian Whyte: Why would I fight Daniel Dubois? Frank Warren needs to stay off the liquor

Dillian Whyte has told Frank Warren “to stay off the liquor” over trying to make an all-South London showdown with Daniel Dubois.

Brixton’s Whyte is the WBC world interim champion and faces Russia’s Alexander Povetkin on Matchroom’s Fight Camp show in Brentwood, Essex on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old is mandatory challenger to Tyson Fury, who is set to be stripped by the governing body if he doesn’t make that defence early in 2021.

Warren manages unbeaten Greenwich prospect Dubois and had recently talked about cross-promotional events – with that match-up one of his dream fights.

But Whyte told the South London Press: “Frank needs to stay off the liquor, man.

“He’s just trying to deviate from the Tyson Fury fight. Why would I fight Daniel Dubois when I’m mandatory for the WBC world title? Daniel brings nothing at all to the table.

“There’s no reason for me to fight me.

“They know I love a fight and it doesn’t take much to get me into a fight, so they are just trying to throw some weight out there.”

Fury’s situation is complicated by the fact that he is contractually obliged to complete his trilogy with American Deontay Wilder, with doubts about whether that third installment takes place this year.

There has also been suggestions that Fury could relinquish the main WBC world title belt and go straight into a money-spinning domestic clash with Anthony Joshua.

“If they strip him [Fury]  I won’t need to fight no-one [to win the title] because I’m interim champion,” said Whyte.

“I’ve had enough fights to justify being a world champion.

“I don’t want that – I want to fight Tyson Fury, because he says he is the best heavyweight alive and to have ever walked the planet.

“I want to fight the best. Hopefully he is going to be a man of his word and not a coward and vacate the belt.”

Whyte has shed the pounds after coming in out of shape against Mariusz Wach in December.

“I just haven’t got any issues outside the ring [now],” he said. “I feel mentally and physically strong – I’ve prepared well.

“The whole of last year, for me, was just a write-off. I had a lot of issues going on and different things on my mind. I was fighting for my career and I was being belittled in the public domain.

“People were saying things about me and you can’t defend yourself. My stock and value plummeted.

“I’m in a good place now. I’m back where I should be. I have an opportunity to shine against a good fighter and a credible world-ranked one.”