Tyson Fury: Showdown with Dillian Whyte biggest British bout since Lewis v Tyson

Tyson Fury believes his showdown with Dillian Whyte will be the biggest British bout since Lennox Lewis fought Frank Bruno.

That all depends, however, on whether Whyte shows up after he failed to attend the first press conference publicising the April 23 WBC World Heavyweight showdown at Wembley Stadium.

Not that reigning champion Fury was going to let absent ‘friends’ take the shine off his latest moment in the spotlight.

The Gypsy King was in typically-ebullient spirits as he gave his opponent a risible playground nickname, staged a mock face-to-face with the AWOL challenger and vowed to win “for England and St George”.

Fury said: “I’ve got a new name for him. He is called ‘Frillian White Knickers’, because he is as soft as it says in the title.

“He has shown his colours today. He gets upset and causes a ruckus, now he has given me that much more confidence.

“I’m not concerned because this is the Tyson Fury roadshow, it’s never about the opponent.

“He’s ugly anyway, this is about me and celebrating my legacy and celebrating it on the biggest stage possible.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, it’s always going to be the Tyson Fury roadshow.

“He’s definitely raised the white flag for this fight. He doesn’t want to go face-to-face because he would see the fire in my eyes and know he’s getting smashed to bits. It’s fear, it’s terror and I don’t blame him for not being here today.”

April’s fight will see Fury return to the UK after five successive bouts in America.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride. I’ve been across the ocean and now – after four years away – I get to come back to Wembley Stadium with almost 100,000 fans there,” he added.

“I believe it’s the biggest British heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis against Frank