Dillian White may have waited more than 1,000 days for his mandatory title win, but head coach Xavier Miller insists the time could not be better as his man prepares to face Tyson Fury for the championship. WBC heavyweight at Wembley this Saturday.
As the night of the battle approached, White’s story of media silence was replaced by the story that both men entered their respective careers after the best training camps.
For White Miller’s coach, this means the culmination of years of technical development behind the scenes and a wealth of experience with the ring in preparation for just that.
“I think this is a case of self-locking in the last few years in Portugal, I think he’s been in three or four different training camps, I think he’s talked to Dillian before when I was appointed head coach and I say ‘we need to improve’ some aspects of your game, “Miller told Sky Sports.
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Tyson Fury and Dillian White face Wembley before the fight for the world title this weekend. Fury and White remain calm as their entourage get too close.
“He’s a great fighter, a great fighter.
“Its ceiling is much higher than it is now and that’s why I worked so hard.
“I’m extremely confident, overconfident.”
White recently cited his limited amateur experience as he explained to Sky Sports in a media call about the extent of his near-“learning to work” development and growth as a boxer in recent years, which he said continues with each fight.
His defeat in the seventh round against Anthony Joshua in 2015 had not only made the world aware of his endurance, but would prove something of a catalyst for his emergence as one of the most dangerous threats in the heavyweight division.
He has since won outstanding victories over Derek Chisora, Robert Helenius, Lucas Brown and Joseph Parker before stopping Alexander Povetkin in the fourth round of last year’s rematch to finally pave the way for the title.
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Tyson Fury says he and Dillian White are ready to rock and roll before their WBC Heavyweight Championship fight at Wembley on Saturday night.
“I think part of it is that we just had to get back to basics,” Miller continued. “I think that because I spent so much time building fighters from scratch, there is a format and it takes time.
“No matter how someone wants to spin it, you can’t just include a fighter who hasn’t fought for world titles yet and change things right away.
“There are things that needed to be worked on, we took the time to do it.
“Honestly, the battle couldn’t have come at a better time, it is now.”
Rarely, if ever, has Fury downplayed White’s threat before Saturday’s revelation, acknowledging the likelihood that his opponent would “rip his head off” if he brought anything less than his best.
Fury hit the canvas several times in his trilogy against Deontay Wilder, whose only fault was his inability to finish the Gypsy King. Easier said than done.
“You don’t have to be a boxing coach to see (how White can hurt Fury),” Miller explained.
“If Dilian catches you clean, you’re lost. The problem is, you have to keep Tyson Fury there.
“You pay tribute when he came down, he got up. He has a lot of heart, he wants to fight, but our job is, after we take him down, to keep him, that’s our job.”
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Joseph Parker says Tyson Fury looked fantastic in camp and will stop Dillian White between the fifth and ninth rounds.
Miller himself, who worked with White after his victory over Oscar Rivas in July 2019, admits that he was regularly asked how much Saturday would mean to him.
The answer for a coach who has played an important role in guiding amateur fighters to professional ranks and has traveled to America to expand his knowledge and spend time in many corners to hone his experience is many. For White’s camp, they feel that this is their moment, their husband’s moment.
“I just love boxing. I’ve been boxing since I was about 11/12, I’ve been watching boxing every day, I’ve been training fighters for years and it’s exciting for me,” he said.
“The only time I get nervous is when it’s time to be called and we start walking to the ring.
“This is what I lived for, this is what I was waiting for, this is the opportunity for a lifetime.
“We’ll get the job done.”
If you would like to purchase Tyson Fury vs. Dillian White from the BT Sport Box Office on April 23, 2022, please visit www.sky.com/boxoffice/btsport.
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