Lou DiBella, The promoter of the WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder has touched on the recent uproar from Matchroom Boxing as they sought to make a world heavyweight championship fight between Deontay Wilder (38-0) and Britain’s Dillian Whyte (21-1).
DiBella has played down the likelihood that particular matchup and even went on to say that Whyte’s own plans are irrelevant to the plans of his fighter.
DiBella, says the ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is prepared to take on all challengers, including Anthony Joshua, but dismissed the prospect of what Eddie Hearn is suggesting, which is that the American face Whyte to set up a showdown with his marquee fighter, Anthony Joshua. A decision which would likely build the profile of the potential heavyweight title unification between Joshua and Wilder as it would give the British public their first up-close look at Wilder; where Hearn is attempting to make the fight given the vast difference in the marketability of both fighters in their home country. But the suggestion has been scoffed at by the Wilder team. “The concept that we would somehow feel obligated, or the necessity to fight Dillian Whyte for a chance to fight Anthony Joshua is a joke,” DiBella told Sky Sports.
DiBella continued ” It’s nothing against Dillian Whyte personally, but I have no need to discuss Dillian Whyte … Dillian Whyte is irrelevant to the future of Deontay Wilder”. DiBella also went on to touch on Hearn’s persistence in trying to make the Wilder fight and has fired back the question as to why Hearn doesn’t give Whyte a title shot much closer to home, against Anthony Joshua. Dibella posed the question to the press that “If Dillian Whyte is such a force in the heavyweight division, why is AJ fighting Carlos Takam and not Dillian Whyte?”
DiBella explained that the opportunity for Whyte and Joshua to meet in a highly anticipated rematch was a very viable option given the fact Pulev pulled out and both fighters were scheduled to fight on the same bill; “Once Pulev was injured, I imagine AJ could have fought anyone he wanted, and Dillian Whyte was scheduled to fight, so why isn’t AJ fighting Dillian Whyte?”
Dillian Whyte will instead fight Robert Helenius for the WBC ‘silver’ belt on the Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam undercard on October 28th while Deontay Wilder will make the 6th defence of his WBC Heavyweight Championship on November 4th in a rematch against the man he won the belt from, in Bermane Stiverne.