Anthony Joshua says he’s unaware of Dillian Whyte negotiations

Anthony Joshua says he's unaware of Dillian Whyte negotiations
By Michael Collins - 06/02/2023 - Comments

Anthony Joshua took to Instagram today to say that he wasn’t aware of any talks for a fight with Dillian Whyte on August 12th, making it clear that he’s not interested in that match-up.

Joshua is the second fighter trained by Derrick James, that has thrown a wrench into the works of his promoters’ big plans. This week, Ryan Garcia rejected a fight that his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, wanted for him against Manny Pacquiao.

Now, Joshua is doing the same thing, turning down a fight that his promoter Hearn wants for him against Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs). It’s understandable why Joshua is cool to the idea of fighting Whyte because there’s no gain in taking that match.

AJ already beat Whyte in 2015, and there’s no upside in fighting him again. Whyte was knocked out last year by Tyson Fury, and a lot of people think he deserved a loss in his recent fight against Jermaine Franklin.

If Joshua sticks to his guns and refuses to fight a rematch with Whyte, it’s going to leave his promoter Eddie Hearn scrambling to try and find an opponent good enough to give AJ a quality tune-up in August to prepare him for a dangerous fight against Deontay Wilder in December.

Hearn has been talking up the idea of Joshua fighting Whyte for months, and he’s really keen on that fight. Assuming Joshua doesn’t change his mind, Hearn will need to act quickly to dig someone up for him.

Good Options for AJ

  • Andy Ruiz Jr
  • Filip Hrgovic
  • Frank Sanchez
  • Demsey McKean

“August 12th isn’t really difficult in terms of a fight. We’ve got an offer we’ll be presenting to him today,”  said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about Dillian Whyte for a fight against Anthony Joshua on April 12th.

“Of course, the Deontay Wilder fight, which is a lot more money than the Tyson Fury September, still needs to be secured. We’ve been promised it’s secured and it’s locked in, but there’s still work to be done.

“We’ve been working hard on that plan, and that’s the plan we want.”

“Dangerous fight for both of them. Deontay Wilder can put anyone to sleep at any given moment, and AJ has proven he’s at that level,” said Adam Booth to iFL TV about Anthony Joshua’s fight in December against Deontay Wilder. “It’s a fight that is winnable and losable for both of them.