Former two-division world champion, David Haye, has pinpointed who he believes to be the perfect next opponent for Anthony Joshua.
Joshua got back to winning ways with a unanimous decision win against Jermaine Franklin last Saturday but, although his triumph never looked in doubt, there was a some disappointment between ‘AJ’ and his fans that the former two-time champion didn’t manage an emphatic knockout.
Already, the 33-year-old has announced his plans to stay active and box in just twelve weeks’ time, and potential opponents are being touted.
In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Haye explained why he believes Dillian Whyte would be the ideal opponent for Joshua’s second fight of the year.
“I would prefer, off the strength of that last victory, which was very comfortable, to see him in an uncomfortable fight first. Because, the one thing you can guarantee that, against [Deontay] Wilder, Tyson Fury or [Oleksandr] Usyk, is that it’s going to be an uncomfortable fight. It has to be if you are going to be victorious. When was the last time he [Joshua] was uncomfortable? Against Usyk, and he lost. It wasn’t uncomfortable against Franklin, it was a comfortable victory.”
“Dillian [Whyte], I believe, would make him uncomfortable and it is how he [Joshua] deals with being outside of his comfort zone, will determine how he would do against one of the bigger guys, like Wilder and Fury. Those are the guys that he is going to understand, that he is going to be uncomfortable getting hit by these guys, but he is going to have to deal with it. I’d like to see, before he starts fighting the top, top players, go in there with Dillian Whyte.”
It seems that Whyte is also keen on completing the trilogy with his fellow Brit, with the score at 1-1 across their amateur and professional careers. Joshua has also admitted that he would be open to facing his domestic rival once again.