Dillian Whyte Advises Anthony Joshua Against a Hasty Return to the Ring

Dillian Whyte believes that Deontay Wilder would be a suitable opponent for Anthony Joshua's next bout, but thinks Joshua is rushing back into boxing too quickly. 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 between him and his old rival. Whyte stated, 'I'd love it, but no one has mentioned it to me, and I don't think it's on the cards. AJ is probably looking to fight Deontay Wilder now, which makes sense.' He also predicted that if Joshua were to fight Wilder, he would emerge victorious and likely knock Wilder out. 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 those plans, leading Whyte to suggest that Joshua should take more time to recover. Whyte thinks Joshua should focus on his mental state and process his recent experiences before returning to the ring. 'The loss he's experienced is not a light one; it's a heavy loss,' Whyte said. 'You can't just rush back into the ring after something like that. He needs time to digest and break down what's happened.' Whyte is still determining his next steps after suffering a first-round knockout defeat to Moses Itauma in August last year. He acknowledged that his performance in Saudi Arabia was not representative of his true abilities, saying, 'It wasn't me. Sometimes things just don't go your way, and you have to move on.' Despite fighting only three times since 2022, Whyte dismissed suggestions of retirement, stating, 'I know who I am, and I know I can still compete at the top level. I just need to learn from my mistakes and ensure they don't happen again.'