British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has issued a word of warning to Tyson Fury ahead of his showdown with Dillian Whyte.

On April 23 at Wembley Stadium, Tyson Fury will defend his WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles against Dillian Whyte. It’s a bout that’s been a long time coming in the eyes of many and while Fury is the favourite, a lot of boxing personalities are quietly confident that Whyte could put in a solid performance in front of the sold-out London crowd next month.

The 33-year-old is coming off the back of a redeeming win over Alexander Povetkin, the same man who knocked him out seven months prior. Fury, meanwhile, has also battled the same opponent in his last two outings, registering back-to-back victories against rival Deontay Wilder.

Fury had to go through his fair share of adversity in the trilogy and according to Ricky Hatton, ‘The Gypsy King’ can’t afford to go into the Whyte fight with the same offensive mindset.

“The only chance Dillian has is if he clocks Tyson, and the more that Tyson stands there and trades like he done in his last two fights, the more chances he offers Dillian.

“Dillian will hit you and lay you out. I think if Dillian hits Tyson, I just wonder how often my old mate can keep getting up off his ass from these heavy, heavy knockdowns.

“I think that he has to be a little bit more cautious and show Dillian the respect that he deserves because he can hit, man. He’s got a good camp and excellent people advising him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nep9aV5eXII

“I’m not saying he should go and run a mile to get away from Dillian because Tyson has proved that he can have it out with people. But I just think he gives up all his advantages if he goes toe-to-toe with Dillian.”

Will Fury underestimate Whyte?

There’s an argument to be made that Tyson Fury was overconfident in the third fight with Wilder, which is precisely why ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was able to have some early success.

At the same time, this is the lineal heavyweight champion of the world we’re talking about - and he holds that distinction for a reason.