Whyte Advises Joshua Against Rushing Back to the Ring, Suggests Wilder as a Suitable Opponent

Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua is making a premature return to boxing and thinks a fight against Deontay Wilder would be a sensible choice for his next bout. Joshua's last fight was in December, and he has since been involved in a fatal car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends. Following his victory over Derek Chisora, Wilder expressed interest in facing Joshua, while Whyte downplayed the possibility of a rematch against his old rival. Whyte stated, 'I'd love it, but no one has mentioned it to me, and I don't know about it. AJ is probably looking to fight Deontay Wilder now; it's the fight that makes sense.' He also predicted that Joshua would emerge victorious against Wilder, saying, 'If AJ fights Wilder, he will sell, and he will knock Wilder out, I think.' Joshua is expected to face Tyson Fury later this year in a highly anticipated all-British heavyweight showdown. However, a potential meeting with Wilder beforehand could jeopardize these plans, leading Whyte to suggest that Joshua should take more time to recover. Whyte noted, 'I'm a risky opponent for him too, but you have to consider the circumstances. The Tyson Fury fight is a significant one; let's see how his mind and mentality are after that. They've been through a lot lately, and personally, I think he's getting back in the ring too soon.' Whyte, who suffered a first-round knockout defeat to Moses Itauma in August last year, has yet to confirm his next steps. He acknowledged that his performance in Saudi Arabia was not representative of his true abilities, saying, 'One million per cent, I'm not going to go into it because I don't want to take away from the kid's win. It wasn't me, and anybody with a brain can see that.' Despite fighting only three times since 2022, including his loss to Itauma, Whyte dismissed suggestions of retirement, stating, 'No, no, no, because I know who I am, and I know how capable I am. I can still operate at the top level; I just have to be more mindful, learn from my mistakes, and ensure certain things don't happen again.'