Deontay Wilder admits he’ll be a nervous man when Anthony Joshua steps into the ring against Dillian Whyte on August 12.
Joshua-Whyte was officially confirmed earlier this week and the two will settle their long running feud at London’s O2 arena next month.
The pair originally fought on the amateur scene back in 2009 with ‘The Body Snatcher’ getting the victory and knocking down ‘AJ’ along the way. Joshua got his revenge in 2015 in the pro ranks, knocking Whyte out in the seventh round after an action packed back-and-forth encounter.
Eddie Hearn, who has promoted ‘AJ’ since he turned professional, has admitted that taking on Whyte before a huge payday against Wilder in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year is a big risk – and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ appears to agree.
Speaking to The Sun before the fight was officially announced, the American heavy hitter confessed he would be anxious if ‘AJ’ were to have a scrap before they met.
“Are you nervous? Everybody’s nervous, we all are.
I will be, I’ve said before I’m a straight forward, honest guy anyone that knows me knows that.
But I am nervous, if he takes a fight.”
This echo’s the thoughts of Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, who ‘doesn’t trust’ AJ will get through Whyte.
“I don’t trust AJ fighting Dillian Whyte in the summer before us. I’d much rather us get the fight, and he waits.
Just continue to develop and sharpen up mentally, and then in December he fights Deontay and we let nature take its course. With how he looked in his last fight, there’s no telling if he will make it.”
Nerves on both sides are understandable as the money on offer for Wilder vs Joshua is reported to be colossal, with Hearn revealing his man was set to make $60million for the clash – but only if he get’s through Whyte.