As he promises to retire his fierce adversary, British heavyweight Dillian Whyte is aiming for a “trilogy” matchup with Anthony Joshua.
16 years ago, the heavyweight pair originally faced off on the amateur circuit, with “The Bodysnatcher” defeating a rookie Joshua by points who had just had his maiden fight.
Their heated rivalry was rekindled in December 2015 when “AJ” won the vacant British heavyweight title via knockout in the seventh round. Whyte had previously defeated Joshua in the second round before losing for the first time in his professional career.
Whyte’s negative doping test result forced the cancellation of their eagerly awaited rematch, which was scheduled for August 2023. Robert Helenius, a heavyweight from Finland, took over but was defeated in seven rounds. After an inquiry revealed that the results were caused by a tainted supplement, Whyte was eventually allowed to box.
In an attempt to ultimately force Joshua into retirement, Whyte has put himself up to fight Joshua, who is anticipated to make his ring comeback for the first time since losing to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois via shocking knockout last September.
In an interview with Sky Sports Boxing, “The Bodysnatcher” said he is “finished” following that loss to Dubois, but he embraced the prospect of taking on the 35-year-old for the third round.
“They only need to give me a call if he wants to fight. I’m willing to fight AJ at any time. I have no issues. Personally, though, I believe he’s done. I believe that by not accepting the instant rematch with Dubois, he made a grave error. It was a world title bout, a huge purse, and the ideal chance for him to get revenge for losing by knockout.
“It will always be fun to argue with him. It’s just the chemistry between us. We want to prove each other incorrect, and none of us wants to lose to the other. It will always be a terrific fight because we want to knock each other out.
“Eddie [Hearn] has openly said that Joshua might fight me next, but I’m not sure if he or his people want it or not. Then we’ll see.” I wish I could retire him.
Whyte made a comeback to the ring in December, and the 36-year-old is eager to do so as soon as possible. An opponent and bout date will likely be revealed soon.
