Anthony Joshua has revealed which of his domestic rivals – Tyson Fury or Dillian Whyte – he would rather fight if belts weren’t on the line.
Fury is the man who every heavyweight wants a shot at. His WBC title and undefeated record would be claimed could a challenger live with his size and skills, and it’s something Joshua has been keen to have a crack at for a while.
As fans know, two sets of negotiations this year were futile. Joshua now looks like he’s heading to a second fight with Whyte, although not yet confirmed.
But who would the former champion face if nothing stood in the way and it was purely for the love of boxing? He told GQ it would be his old rival.
“If I’m going to erase my memory – imagine Men In Black, they come with that torch – Dillian Whyte. It has to be Dillian Whyte. South London, North London.
Fury’s good but he’s a Manchester boy. I think Dillian, he has more swag in general but he’s come up short a few times”
Fans have seen what happens when ‘AJ’ and Whyte get together already. The pair went toe-to-toe for the British title back in 2015, and, following a spicy build up, fought with one intention – a knockout.
It came Joshua’s way in the seventh round, but the Watford man did have to ride out some trouble to get there. That professional contest followed one in the amateurs in which Whyte came out on top – and he is keen to label it 1-1.
A rematch is now being discussed, with Joshua likely looking for a tough underdog to get back to winning ways. As with the hypothetical question, there would be no belts on the line.
Moving on to a Fury-Joshua fight, it’s still high on the list of heavyweight match ups that people feel they need to see before this generation switches to the next. If it will ever come to fruition is a different story entirely.