The Millionaire Journeyman’s Pipe Dream: Dillian Whyte’s Rematch Plea to Anthony Joshua Amidst Inactivity, Fading Form

Dillian Whyte hasn’t given up on his hopes of a rematch with Anthony Joshua still happening. It seems like a forlorn pipe dream for Whyte to hope that Joshua will fight him again. However, given promoter Eddie Hearn’s interest in domestic matches, Joshua may indulge him at some point in the distant future.

(Credit: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry)

A Step Backward for AJ?

Joshua will likely focus on fighting relevant fighters, like IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury, rather than throwing a bone to Whyte for a fight that won’t sell outside of the UK. Joshua obviously wants to fill his bank account to the brim before he retires, and the way to do that is to fight Fury twice, Dubois, and Oleksander Usyk. Whyte would be a pointless backwards step that wouldn’t pay as much.

The 37-year-old journeyman Whyte hasn’t been involved in a notable fight for years after blowing his chance for a rematch with Joshua on August 12, 2023. He was scheduled to fight AJ then, but the contest was canceled after Whyte returned an “adverse analytical finding.” Dillian has fought just twice since, beating veterans Ebenezer Tetteh and Christian Hammer. He’ll be fighting next month against a still-to-be-determined opponent on June 7th on the Fabio Wardley vs. Justis Huni card.

The way Dillian looked against Ebenezer, he’s going to need to be matched with extra care to keep him from getting beaten into retirement. He looked so washed that it’s going to be nearly impossible to keep him winning long enough to realize his dreams of a 24k golden rematch against Joshua. He looks and sounds terrible.

How Did He Get Rich?

Whyte is a millionaire despite never having captured a world title during his 14-year pro career. The way Dillian performed in his last fight against Tetteh, his chances of ever winning a world title are zero. However, according to the BBC, Whyte is still wealthy with an estimated net worth of $7 million. He and Derek Chisora show how non-champions can make millions in the UK in the heavyweight division.

“I’m trying to get as much action as I can so I’m ready for these kinds of fights,” said a badly slurring Dillian Whyte to Ring Magazine about his interest in a rematch with Anthony Joshua. “In the last two years, I’ve had three fights or something? They haven’t been top-level fights. I need to be active these last few years.”