Ricky Hatton: I’m backing Tyson Fury to beat Dillian Whyte but he is right to consider retirement next

In his latest column, the British boxing breaks down Saturday’s Battle of Britain and looks ahead to a huge night for Jack Massey on Fightzone next week.

No one deserves this title shot against Tyson Fury more than Dillian Whyte. It’s been a tough road but Dillian has never taken his eye off the prize, he has kept that self-belief throughout this long wait.

When he was on the verge of getting his chance he had to come back from that shock defeat to Alexander Povetkin and did that in style.

Amid all the waiting and uncertainty, he didn’t let anything get him down, he has worked hard at every stage and I think anybody that can take those knocks and still have that fire and still be as dedicated as Dillian has been deserves it. He has done it the hard way. He has paid his dues and he is still here and that makes him a very dangerous man.

Dillian has got to take it to Tyson. Of course, that is easier said than done. Tyson beats Dillian in every area, truth be told. But sometimes even the best fighters don’t win. They come unstuck because of the game plan. If Dillian avoids walking onto any silly shots and draws Tyson into having a fight with him – which Tyson isn’t shy of doing – he has a big chance.

But to be honest, it is more about what Tyson does on the night rather than what Dillian does. If Tyson goes to war like he has done in his last two fights against Deontay Wilder, Dillian has a fantastic chance. But if Tyson does what he does best and picks him off, makes him fall short and frustrates him, he will break Dillian down and maybe force a late stoppage.

I think Tyson’s team will have told him: ‘You are not getting any younger, we can’t afford to have another one of those ding dongs. Let’s be nice and smart this time.