Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte is not convinced that former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua is “serious” about a potential rematch for the month of August.
Joshua picked up a seventh round knockout win over Joshua in December of 2015.
A rematch was discussed in early 2019, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement – with Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, claiming that Whyte overpriced himself. Joshua would instead head to America to face Andy Ruiz – in what became the upset of the year when Ruiz stopped Joshua at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Joshua is now planning a return to the ring for August 12, with Whyte being named as one of the frontrunners for the fight.
But, Whyte indicates that nobody is holding talks with his team with respect to a Joshua rematch.
“It’s a big fight, it’s eight weeks away and there’s no communication, nothing,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “Just nothing. Nothing at all. They’re just wasting time messing about.
“It just doesn’t seem real. They’re trying to put me in the same position they did a few years ago, saying: ‘Oh, we’re trying to make the Joshua fight.’
“These big fights take time. There’s lots of things that go on, there’s lots of small print and this team want that and that team want this. There’s a lot of things that go on. It takes a long time to make these big fights.”
Whyte has been out of the ring since winning a tough decision over Jermaine Franklin last November.
Joshua would then face Franklin and win a twelve round unanimous decision over him in April.
Based on their past contests, Whyte believes he has the recipe to get revenge if they meet again in the ring.
“This is heavyweight boxing, stranger things have happened. Obviously I will still train and try and stay focused and stay ready in case it happens. Because I’ve been up for fighting Joshua since the day I lost to him in 2015,” Whyte said.
“The score is 1-1 so far. He’s won one. I beat him in the amateurs, he beat me in the pros so I want to get even. I would love nothing more than to have a chance to avenge my defeat. I’ll just go to war. I want to go to war because I think that’s a good way to fight him, pressure him, back him up and start getting him on the backfoot as early as possible and I’m strong enough, I’m big enough to do that. I carry enough power obviously to back him up and to knock him out.”