Brixton’s Dillian Whyte (14-0, 11 KO’s) is adamant that if he and Anthony Joshua (13-0, 13 KO’s) were to square off in the ring again, he’d put an end to his fellow countryman’s unbeaten professional record.
Joshua, who captured Olympic gold as a super-heavyweight in the 2012 Olympics in London, was knocked down and beaten by Whyte on points in a four-round amateur bout in 2009.
Six years later, both men stand as unbeaten professionals, and Joshua is opening to avenging the loss, speaking with Sky Sports.
“He knows I’ve got something in both hands that can put him down. He knows that when he fights me. I’m not coming to lose and just pick up a paycheck,” Joshua said.
However, Whyte is coming in with a load of confidence, adding that if he lost once, he would lose again.
He has to be careful, though, Hasim Rahman learned his lesson against Lennox Lewis in 2001 that the swan song doesn’t always have a charming sequel.
“I’ve humbled him in the ring before and I’ll humble him again. I remember his friends were giving it before the fight the last time, and I said I would knock him out. I almost knocked him out. I will humble him again, but I’m not going to talk a lot – the fight will get made and then we’ll see.
“September is good for me. I’ve been off for a while because I broke my hand in the middle of April. I’m looking to fight a couple of times in July and if we can get the deal tied up, then why not? If not September, then whenever. I told Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn I’d be ready in January this year.
“Joshua is not the be all and end all of my career. I would love to fight him because I want to prove to people I can beat him again and knock him out, but if I don’t fight him, I don’t care.
“Anthony Joshua needs the British title and if he wants the British title, he better go through me – it’s as simple as that.”
In the case of former NABF cruiserweight champion Henry Tillman, he did have a sequel to the swan song, but the third movie was not a pleasant one.
In the amateurs, he didn’t beat Mike Tyson once, but twice by close decision. When it was time to face Tyson as a professional, Tyson put him to bed in the very first round in June 1990, which was Tyson’s first bout after suffering a stunning KO loss at the hands of James ‘Buster’ Douglas.
With that being said, this is boxing, and anything can happen. Perhaps Whyte hasn’t had a good look at boxing history, or he’s trying to coerce Joshua into fighting mad, which could work for or against him.
Joshua, who stands at 6’6, has knocked out or stopped every opponent at the pro level, but Whyte says beating Joshua isn’t all that difficult.
“You punch him back in the face,” he said. “Size hasn’t got anything to do with it.”
Then, Whyte implied that all of Joshua’s opponents have only been there for the paycheck, handpicked, and don’t possess the skill and hunger that he does to win fights.
“He has to face someone who is young with ambition and who is just as hungry or even hungrier than him, somebody who wants to fight and isn’t just there for a paycheck – someone who doesn’t just lean on the ropes and get hit.
“The good thing about boxing in Britain is the boxing fans aren’t silly – they know when someone’s being protected and having their opponents handpicked for them. We are young prospects, and we have to start somewhere, but it’s time he fought somebody who will fight him back.
“He’s changed a lot and I’ve changed a lot. I’ve got a whole lot more punches in my arsenal now. His defense has gotten better, and so has mine. My punches have gotten better. That was my first boxing fight, and I’d only been training a couple of months. I was wowed and erratic.
“I think it’d be a similar fight, but a lot more technical, and a lot more aggressive. I’ll fight Joshua any day of the week. A lot of people say he’s the next Lennox Lewis, but I think he’ll be lucky if he’s as good as Frank Bruno.
“He’s strong, but there’s nothing I see that I’m worried about. He’s a big guy and seems to have a bit of power, but power isn’t a problem for me.”
