Dillian Whyte believes that Anthony Joshua's next bout should be against Deontay Wilder, but thinks Joshua is making a mistake by returning to 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.
Wilder recently expressed interest in facing Joshua after his win over Derek Chisora, 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 think it's happening. AJ is probably looking to fight Deontay Wilder now, which makes sense.' He also thinks 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 matchup.
However, a fight against Wilder beforehand could jeopardize those plans, and Whyte thinks Joshua should take more time to recover. Whyte said, 'I'm a risky opponent for him too, but you have to consider it. The Tyson Fury fight is a big one, and AJ should focus on that and assess his mental state after what he's been through.' Whyte, who suffered a first-round knockout defeat to Moses Itauma in August, admits that his performance was not representative of his true abilities. He waved off suggestions of retirement, saying, 'I know who I am, and I know I can still operate at the top level.
I just need to be more mindful, learn from my mistakes, and make sure certain things don't happen again.'