Heavyweight title challenger Dillian Whyte has reiterated his desire to fight rival Anthony Joshua in 2023.
Whyte faces unbeaten American, Jermaine Franklin, this weekend, but he has his eyes on a far bigger prize if he is to overcome his upcoming fight unscathed.
The rivalry between Whyte and Joshua dates back to the amateur days, with Whyte defeating ‘AJ’ in 2009 and deciding to turn professional just two years later, whilst Joshua went on to win Olympic gold.
Once Joshua also made the switch, the grudge match was inevitable and the two Brits went toe-to-toe in an intense domestic clash. The Olympian went on to win by a brutal uppercut knockout in the seventh round, which left his opponent flat on the canvas, although both men had success in the fight.
From that time onwards, Joshua has been seen as the face of boxing in the UK and has gone on to win the unified heavyweight title, whilst Whyte was made to wait for a title shot.
Now with both fighters coming off a loss, from their respective title challenges, it seems a logical time to reignite the rivalry and Whyte is seeking vengeance.
“I’ll fight Joshua tomorrow. I’ll fight him for less money,”
“Whenever me and him fight, sparks fly. We just want to beat each other up.”
“I’ll fight Joshua even when I’m 60. It’s a fight that will make me faster, diet better, and make me go to bed at 7 o’clock every day.”
Before Whyte can afford to switch focus, he must defeat Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night. If he is to get past the American, with the heavyweight titles tied up, a fight with Joshua seems to make sense.