Dillian Whyte is looking to build himself back up in the heavyweight division following his first world title challenge ending via a Tyson Fury uppercut in the sixth round.
Losses don’t define the brawler from Brixton, though, and, ahead of his comeback fight against Jermaine Franklin on DAZN, he’s mapped out four fights he wants before he hangs up the gloves for good.
“Joshua, Fury, Usyk and Deontay Wilder and then I have fought everyone before I end my career. I would love to fight them all before I stop. If someone said to me those are my next fights win, lose or draw I would sign the paper now.”
Of course, the Fury and Joshua bouts would be rematches, with Whyte having lost to both men at different stages of his campaign. The avenging of those defeats is something the heavyweight holds with the same importance as a world title.
Deontay Wilder is someone Whyte’s been calling out for years, and it seems that the American’s status moving from ‘champion’ to ‘former’ hasn’t done anything to stunt his desire. Last on the list is Oleksandr Usyk, the elusive Ukrainian who holds all the heavyweight titles bar Fury’s WBC belt.
“Listen, I am not going to try and box with Usyk. I am going to be physical, I am not going to try and jab with him and all of that. I am trying to rush him and do all sorts to him. I’m going to rush him, and start throwing low kicks and the lot. I always have an opportunity to beat Joshua. I went into the fight injured and I almost beat him.
“I can beat anyone on this planet. I just have to be right and connect with my punches. I don’t care. I am willing to go wherever, anywhere these fights make sense. I want to give the fans the best fights, so when I hang up my gloves I can say ‘I may have come up short here and there’ but I have fought the best.”
First thing’s first, ‘The Bodysnatcher’ must get through the undefeated Franklin before making any more testing plans. If he does, the rematch with Joshua awaits in 2023.