The fluctuating relationship between Dillian Whyte and the WBC is an ongoing saga. Whyte has spent over 18 months as the sanctioning body’s No. 1 contender at heavyweight but is yet to be made the mandatory challenger for their champion Deontay Wilder, never mind had a shot at his belt. It should also be noted that Whyte has rejected a WBC eliminator in that time, though did accept a recent mooted clash with Tyson Fury that would have seen the winner challenge the American – Fury did not agree. That said, the longterm mandatory claim of Dominic Breazeale has now been violently expunged by Wilder, leaving a vacancy, one that Whyte, his team and promoter Eddie Hearn hoped could be filled by the winner of Dillian’s match with Oscar Rivas on July 20 in London. However, listening to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, speaking exclusively with Seconds Out, that outcome seems somewhat fanciful.



“I have spoken at length with Eddie Hearn and Dillian Whyte’s group but unfortunately they have turned this into a media circus, which is highly regrettable because that influences the process,” he pointed out. “We have the highest respect for Dillian Whyte. He is our No. 1 contender, our Silver champion, my friend and a tremendous fighter, but to be insulted over and over again makes it very difficult to continue addressing a situation. We are going through a mediation process but if they want to handle it through the press it may change tack.”



Sulaiman is further aggrieved that, as he sees it, Whyte and team are only putting forth their version of events and this is encouraging fans of the Londoner to attack him online.



“We offered Dillian Whyte a fight for the Interim championship since last October and they’ve been stalling,” he stated. “I’m a little bit frustrated that British fans are only getting one side of the story, I’ve been getting insults on social media, trashing my father’s reputation, insulting my family. We stand for justice, our history is very clear and we will do the just thing via the right process.”