No fan can argue against the fact that Dillian Whyte has earned himself a world title shot – wins this year over Lucas Browne, Joseph Parker and, on Saturday night, Dereck Chisora, and Eddie Hearn says there is an “eighty percent chance” Whyte will get one, against Anthony Joshua in April. Hearn says he needs to get Joshua’s next fight done within the next two to three weeks and that if no deal can be made with WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (who seems headed to that big rematch with Tyson Fury) it will almost certainly be Joshua-Whyte II next.
As good as Whyte has looked in his last couple of fights, and as improved as he really has become since his exciting but losing fight with Joshua from three years ago (this stoppage defeat of course being the sole setback on Whyte’s pro record) a return fight between the two is not a bad fight at all. Yes, we would prefer to see Joshua get it on with Wilder or Fury next instead, but if those two have their demanded rematch as expected then Whyte is the undisputed best and most deserving next challenger for AJ.
Hearn says a rematch between these two is a “brilliant fight.”
“Joshua wants the undisputed [title] fight but he also wants to fight Dillian Whyte,” Hearn told London News Online. “He got up on the ring (on Saturday after Whyte had KO’d Chisora) – it’s quite unusual for him to do that. There’s a very, very good chance that will be next. Dillian deserves a world title shot and he’s in his prime or approaching his prime, and that’s the time to fight. Him and AJ is a brilliant fight. We haven’t got long [to get AJ’s next fight done]. I’m sure we’ll be on the phone to Dillian within the week. The priority is he wants Wilder, but I don’t believe that will happen. If it’s an April 13 date at Wembley you’ll need it on sale at the end of January. He’s 80 percent likely to fight at Wembley on April 13.”
So unless Wilder and Fury have problems making a deal for their rematch (and their first fight was made both quickly and easily so a rematch seems likely) or unless Joshua decides to box his US debut next, against Jarrell Miller perhaps (this seems unlikely, as AJ himself has said that Whyte is ahead of Miller in terms of his preferred next foe) it will be Joshua-Whyte II in April.
Joshua would enter the ring as a big favourite to win, but in no way can anyone say this is a poor fight. Nor can anyone say it would fail to be exciting. Someone is getting knocked out if these two rumble again. It would probably be Whyte but we know this: “The Body Snatcher” will never go down without a fight.