According to Dillian Whyte, Anthony Joshua's next logical bout should be against Deontay Wilder, but he believes Joshua is rushing back into the ring too quickly. Joshua's last fight was in December, and he has since been involved in a tragic car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends. Following his victory over Derek Chisora, Wilder expressed interest in facing Joshua, and Whyte has downplayed the possibility of a rematch against his old rival.
Whyte stated, 'I would love it, but no one has approached me about it, and I think AJ is likely to face Deontay Wilder now, which is a fight that makes sense.' He also predicted that Joshua would emerge victorious against Wilder, saying, 'If AJ fights Wilder, he will sell out the event and probably knock Wilder out.' However, Whyte thinks Joshua should take more time to recover before returning to the ring, especially considering his upcoming highly anticipated all-British heavyweight bout against Tyson Fury later this year. Whyte, who was defeated by Joshua in 2015, said, 'I'm a risky opponent for him as well, but you have to consider the circumstances.' He believes Joshua needs more time to process his recent experiences, including the loss of his friends in the car accident, which he described as a 'heavy loss.' Meanwhile, Whyte is yet to confirm his next move 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, and anyone with a brain can see that.' Despite having only fought three times since 2022, Whyte waved off suggestions of retirement, stating, 'I know who I am, and I know I can still compete at the top level. I just need to be more mindful, learn from my mistakes, and ensure that certain things don't happen again.'