Carl Froch has weighed in with a prediction for Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Dillian Whyte – a make or break fight for the pair in terms of the very top level of the sport.
Both Joshua and Whyte recently secured comeback wins over American heavyweight, Jermaine Franklin, and will now enter the ring to reignite a domestic rivalry that saw its last instalment in 2015.
Despite Joshua coming out on top via highlight-reel knockout back then, Hall of Fame fighter Carl Froch is predicting Whyte to win this time around.
Speaking to Genting Casino, ‘The Cobra’ goes against the oddsmakers and predicts the underdog via points.
“Based on what I’ve seen of Joshua in his last two or three fights, his lacklustre performance against Ruiz in the rematch, his back to back defeats to Usyk, I just think it’s going to be a really close fight.
Dillian Whyte has seen better days, he’s not had great performances either, they’re both past their best, but I think that Whyte has probably got a little bit more in the tank mentally. I think he wants this more.
It’s a tight fight that could go either way. My instinct is that Whyte beats AJ but that’s just based on AJ’s last couple of performances. If AJ’s back to his best he can do a demolition job on Whyte.
But based on previous performances suggests Whyte just edges it on points. I think they’re both going to be knackered by round nine and we will hear the final bell.”
However it goes, Froch suggests the man who leaves the ring defeated should hang up the gloves for good.
“I think the loser should retire because if AJ’s lost three of his last six and Whyte’s been knocked out by Povetkin, knocked out by Fury, and scraped through against Franklin.
There’s a case to say that there’s nothing left in defeat.”
Whilst retirement isn’t a given, the loser will be out in the cold in terms of the world title picture. It’s perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the fight, which goes down on August 12 at a sold-out O2 Arena in London.