HBO Fight Preview

Dillian Whyte vs. Lucas Browne

London -- Had Lucas Browne (25-0, 22 KO) not tested positive for clenbuterol following his win over Ruslan Chagaev in 2016 then the March 24 fight against Dillian Whyte (22-1, 16 KO) would have been a title fight.  He did test positive though so instead they will fight for a secondary title of little note as both men look to secure bigger fights in the heavyweight division.

Whyte raising his hands in victory

At this point in his career the 29-year-old Whyte's claim to fame is hurting current IBF and WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the second round of their 2015 fight.  Joshua was able to recover though and stopped Whyte in the seventh round, the only loss of Whyte's career.  More recently the London resident has been hoping to get in the ring with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.

Whyte fights out of the orthodox stance and lacks the devastating power that some of his contemporaries possess.  He likes to measure his attack with a stiff jab and does a good job of banging the body in an attempt to break his opponents down.  Although he has a heavy right hand, Whyte's best weapon is probably his left hook, which was the punch that hurt Joshua.  Defensively though Whyte is open to be hit because he does a poor job of keeping his chin protected which could spell trouble against the powerful Browne.

When Browne made his professional debut he was nearly 30 years old and at 38 now he has been through some tough fights.  In 2016 Browne became the first Australian heavyweight champion of the world when he stopped Chagaev in the 10th round, still the best win of his career despite being stripped of the title shortly after.  However, outside of Chagaev, a very old James Toney, and a few tough journeymen, most of Browne's career has been spent fighting weak competition.  

Browne landing an uppercut on Chagaev

Browne plies his trade out of the orthodox stance and has a decent left hook to go along with a heavy jab.  He is somewhat of a one trick pony though as his best weapon, and most used, is a powerful right hand.  While Browne certainly has knockout power he is also very vulnerable.  He has been dropped multiple times in his career and has a history of being cut.  A big problem for Browne is that he often fights with his hands down by his waist and leaves his chin exposed.

This should be an entertaining heavyweight fight between two pugilists occupying the second tier of heavyweight fighters.  Clearly Joshua, Wilder, and Parker, the three current champions, are the best the division has to offer but both Whyte and Browne believe they aren't too far behind.  Browne has the power advantage against Whyte but Whyte is more skillful and if he can time the slower Browne he should be able to do damage.  While Whyte looks to secure a title fight against Wilder or a rematch with Joshua, Browne is just looking to prove he's now a clean fighter worthy of another title shot.

PREDICTION: Lucas Browne has the power to win this fight.  If he hurts Dillian Whyte he could close the show with a big right hand.  Whyte has been much more active the last few years though and he is the more skilled of the two men.  Look for Whyte to time Browne with his left hook and as Browne's face begins to breakdown Whyte will open a wide lead on the scorecards on his way to a unanimous decision victory.