Dillian Whyte Advises Anthony Joshua Against a Hasty Return to Boxing, Suggests Deontay Wilder as a Logical Opponent

According to Dillian Whyte, a fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder would be a sensible choice for Joshua's next bout, 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 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, and Whyte has downplayed the possibility of a rematch between himself and Joshua. Whyte stated, 'I'd love to fight him, but no one has mentioned it to me, and I think AJ is likely to face Deontay Wilder now, as it's a fight that makes sense.' He also believes that if Joshua were to fight Wilder, he would emerge victorious and possibly knock Wilder out. A potential meeting between Joshua and Wilder could jeopardize plans for a highly anticipated all-British heavyweight showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury later this year. Whyte thinks Joshua should take more time to recover, saying, 'I'm a risky opponent for him as well, but you have to consider his current state of mind and mentality after what he's been through.' Whyte, who suffered a first-round knockout defeat to Moses Itauma in August last year, is yet to confirm his next steps and acknowledges that his performance in Saudi Arabia did not reflect his true abilities. Despite this, he has 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.'