By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs) sees Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14 KOs) as little more than a bully, who has had his way against guys that weren’t on the same level as him. However, on December 12th, Whyte wonders how the 26-year-old Joshua handles being in the ring with someone who is going to be putting pressure on him and asking questions of him.
Whyte, 27, already beat Joshua once in the amateur ranks in 2009, and he thinks that the loss is sitting in the back of the 6’6” Joshua’s mind, eating away at him and causing him some mental issues. Whether that’s the case or not, Joshua is going to have some major problems fighting someone that actually throws punches back at him, and who isn’t stupid enough to sit on the ropes like many of the gaud awful opponents that Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has fished for him to fight since he turned pro.
The last time Joshua fought quality opposition three years ago in the London Olympics in front of a fan-friendly crowd, Joshua controversially beat Erislandy Savon and Roberto Cammarelle in fights that a lot of boxing fans saw Joshua lose. Heck, I thought Joshua lost not only those two fights, but also his fights against Zhang Zhilei from China, and Ivan Dychko. Joshua won a controversial 15-11 win over Zhilei and 13-11 win over Dychko.
I had Joshua losing both of those fights, and I thought the scoring was very bad, but not as bad as the scoring in Joshua’s matches against Savon and Cammarelle. I also had Joshua losing to Cammarelle in the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships. I thought that wasn’t even close. Joshua won the fight 15-13, but I had Cammarelle winning 18-4. He was nailing Joshua’s head all fight long with head snapping shots, but at the end of the fight the referee raised Joshua’s hand. I thought it was a mistake at first, but it showed you how confusing the scoring is in amateur contests.
“People say ‘it was the amateurs, it doesn’t matter’. But he was on the end of those punches, so it’s in the back of his mind,” Whyte said to BBC.com. “He’s used to being the bully and being on top. But what happens when he tries to impose himself and he keeps being denied? We’ll find out soon.”
I think it’s going to be really difficult for Joshua in this fight because he won’t be able to do the things he normally does in the ring. In other words, Joshua won’t be able to jump on Whyte and pound him into oblivion like the old guys that Hearn has been digging up for him since he turned pro in 2013.
Joshua also won’t be able to count on Whyte backing up to the ropes and just covering up like a faithful sparring partner just there to be one of his token lambs for the slaughter. Whyte isn’t going to fight like he’s lost senses and just cover up on the ropes. It’s hard to understand how any fighter that calls himself a professional would fight like that, but we’ve seen Joshua’s elderly opposition do that again and again since he turned pro.
“I’m completely different to everyone Anthony Joshua has fought. Dillian Whyte will be victorious. I’ll go for the win whichever way I can get it but I definitely want to knock him out,” Whyte said. “Pumping up your muscles and getting bigger and stronger is one thing, a boxer’s mentality is another.”
I have a strong feeling that Whyte will come out victorious in their fight on December 12th at the O2 Arena in London, UK. But I also think that Whyte may need a knockout in order to make sure that he gets his hand raised in this fight, because Joshua is a heavily hyped fighter with a lot of hopes and prayers of people resting on his shoulders.
I see Joshua as the Ronda Rousey of British boxing, and no way do I see Whyte getting a decision against him, and that’s why I see him scoring a knockout over Joshua. We saw how Joshua was given decision after controversial decision in the London Olympics three years ago, and I feel that Joshua will get a decision over Whyte, who doesn’t have the Olympic gold medal in his favor.
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