Dillian Whyte wants a return fight with Anthony Joshua next, but it is more likely that AJ will face his WBO mandatory challenger, Oleksandr Usyk. This fight, Whyte said when speaking with Sky Sports, is a “dead fight,” because, “Usyk hasn’t looked good.”
Whyte was referring to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion’s two fights as a heavyweight – wins over Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora.
Whyte says Usyk “looked terrible” in both fights and that Usyk is “not a true heavyweight contender.” Whyte gave AJ a tough time of things in a great action fight back in late 2015, and Whyte wants nothing more than another go at Joshua. This could be the real reason Whyte is not at all impressed with a Joshua-Usyk fight, or with Usyk’s chances of winning.
“Who has he fought at heavyweight? Chazz Witherspoon, Dereck Chisora. He looked terrible in both fights. He has no punch power,” Whyte said of Usyk. “Okay, he’s got good movement, but it’s not nice movement. At heavyweight, his movement is not nice. It’s just so negative. The Chisora fight, I watched the first six rounds and when Dereck tired, I was like, this is rubbish. Dereck was out on his feet and he couldn’t even stop him. He was punching him clean and Dereck was walking through.”
Aside from Usyk’s lack of power, Whyte also stated how the Ukrainian will “struggle to carry” the additional weight he has packed on since moving up. Listen to Whyte and the Joshua-Usyk fight is pretty much a mismatch. Others disagree, stating how Usyk, with his boxing skills, his experience at both amateur and pro level, and his southpaw stance, will give Joshua real problems.
In terms of great action, yes, a Joshua-Whyte II would be more of a spectacle than Joshua-Usyk. But this likely fight not only makes sense in terms of its mandatory status but it is also a fascinating clash of styles. Whyte may get his shot at AJ somewhere down the line but it doesn’t figure to be next. But who can tell for sure the way the heavyweight division moves these days?