By Charles Brun: Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte says he wants the rematch with Anthony Joshua next now that AJ’s undisputed heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury has is no longer happening.
Joshua has already been ordered to defend his WBO heavyweight title against mandatory Oleksandr Usyk next. However, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed on Monday that he might match Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) against a different opponent rather than Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs).
There’s more money for Joshua to fight Dillian, 33, rather than Usyk, who is less popular in the UK and U.S.
One of the names that Hearn mentioned was Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs), who is coming off an impressive fourth-round knockout victory over Alexander Povetkin in their rematch on March 27th.
The win for Whyte made him the interim WBC title but not the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Tyson Fury.
If the World Boxing Council insists that Whyte fight in a second title eliminator, it could take him ages before getting a title shot against Fury.
Whyte already beat Oscar Rivas by a 12 round unanimous decision in July 2019 in a title eliminator to become the WBC mandatory and interim champion.
Unfortunately for Whyte, he lost the mandatory and interim WBC title in his fifth-round knockout loss to Alexander Povetkin in August 2020.
Although Whyte won back his interim WBC title with a fourth-round knockout of Povetkin in their rematch last March in Gibraltar, he didn’t regain the mandatory spot.
“We want Wilder vs. Fury 3 winner,” said trainer Xavier Miller on Instagram on Monday.
Whyte immediately said, “No, I want AJ now next.”
Hearn might not choose Whyte for Joshua because it’s a fight that would need to take place in a stadium in the UK.
Unless the government allows a large crowd, it doesn’t make sense for Joshua and Dillian to fight at this time. Whyte isn’t popular enough for one of the Middle Eastern countries to pay a large site fee to stage it like they would with a Joshua-Fury clash.
Given the current situation with Whyte NOT being the WBC mandatory, it’s predictable that the World Boxing Council will order a title eliminator with the next available contender in their ranks. These would be Whyte’s potential opponents if a WBC title eliminator:
3. Andy Ruiz Jr
4. Luis Ortiz
5. Joseph Parker
6. Joe Joyce
7. Michael Hunter
8. Alexander Povetkin
9. Efe Ajagba
10. Filip Hrgovic
Out of that bunch, Luis Ortiz is the likely fighter that would agree to face Whyte in a WBC title eliminator. However, Whyte has never shown interest in fighting Ortiz, and he’s already turned down two title eliminators in the past against him.
That’s why it took Whyte so long to eventually earn the WBC mandatory position because he was hesitant about facing ‘King Kong’ Ortiz.