Izuchukwu Okosi
Heavyweight boxer, Dillian Whyte insists there has been no serious talks over a rematch with Anthony Joshua, stressing that it is a ‘waste of time’ even talking about the proposed summer showdown.
Anglo-Nigerian Joshua, who was former unified heavyweight boxing champions is set to return to the ring on 1 April to take on Jermaine Franklin, the man Whyte secured a majority decision win over in November.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Briton whose father hails from Sagamu, in Ogun state Nigeria, has welcomed talk of a rematch with his old rival following their brutal battle in 2015 with promoter Eddie Hearn confident of delivering that fight this summer.
Whyte however has been left frustrated by a lack of communication over what is next for him.
Joshua is set to return to the ring on 1 April to take on Jermaine Franklin.
“AJ’s doing what he wants to do. Listen, if he really wants to fight me, it’s not very hard to make,’ Whyte told Sportsmail.
‘’It’s 1-1 and I’ve been chasing that fight for the last seven years. I don’t understand why we can’t get the fight on.
‘’Eddie has talked a lot about the fight, but they couldn’t commit to actually making it. Waste of time talking about it! We’ve had no offer for that fight or serious talks. It’s very frustrating.’
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After beating Franklin in November, Whyte expected talks for the Joshua rematch to accelerate in the weeks and months that followed.
Joshua’s plans to fight the American in the spring however is under threat as he (Whyte) fears that he will be made a scapegoat should the rematch never materialise.
‘’I win and then there’s no conversation about the AJ fight or nothing,’ Whyte said. ‘So obviously I’m not gonna sit around and wait and be used as a scapegoat like they did to me a couple years ago.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
