Dillian Whyte still feels he is getting the short shrift from the boxing establishment.
The longtime heavyweight contender from London lamented in a recent interview about his seemingly second-class status in the sport, despite the fact that he believes he is one of the top fighters in his division.
Whyte has voiced numerous complaints over the years. Most notably, Whyte has long been bitter about not getting the opportunity to face Deontay Wilder, when the Alabaman still held the WBC title.
More recently, Whyte took issue with the promotion in the lead-up to his fight with WBC titlist Tyson Fury last year at Wembley Stadium in London. As retaliation, Whyte refused to attend the press conference to announce that fight and largely refrained from actively promoting the bout across his social media channels.
Whyte made it clear his perpetual discontent has not changed, as he looks to prepare for another big opportunity in the ring when he takes on Anthony Joshua on Aug. 12 at the O2 Arena in London. Joshua defeated Whyte by seventh-round knockout in their first encounter in 2015.
“I’m used to ups and downs in my life,” Whyte told BBC 5 Live Boxing. “Obviously, it’s a shame being one of the top fighters in the world, I’m still struggling like I was [earlier in my career]. It’s the same.
“It’s been tough. I haven’t been treated the way I should’ve been treated and getting the right respect. It’s life, man. When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. I must be a lemonade master by now.”
Whyte said he can already hear the excuses from the public if he ends up beating Joshua in August.
“I’m a happy soul, anyway,” Whyte said. “Even if I beat AJ, I’m still not going to get the respect I deserve. If I beat him, they’re gonna say, ‘Oh, he was diminished. He was losing his mind. He was this, he was that.’ There’s going to be some nonsense being said.”
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.