Anthony Joshua wants Dillian Whyte again, says promoter

Harry West

Anthony Joshua wants Dillian Whyte again, says promoter image

Anthony Joshua would love to face Dillian Whyte for a second time after his fight with Joseph Parker, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Whyte and Joshua slugged it out at the O2 Arena in December 2015, with the now-WBA and IBF heavyweight champion wobbled by his opponent before he recovered to land a devastating uppercut that ended the contest in the seventh round.

Joshua faces WBO champ Parker in Cardiff on March 31 and, should he emerge victorious, a bout with WBC strap-holder Deontay Wilder has been widely mooted as the Brit looks to unify the division.

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But Hearn has suggested Whyte - who meets Lucas Browne this weekend - will fight Joshua again, and should be considered as a potential next opponent for Wilder.

"I know that Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte again," Hearn told Sky Sports. "I think if you asked him and said 'Tell me one fight in the division you want?' He could say Dillian Whyte, because he loved it, and he feels as though he wasn't his best, because he lost his rag a little bit.

"But he's improved so much and he loves having a tear-up, and he knows Dillian will give him a tear-up. He loves the build-up. He wants people to go at him at the pressers, AJ. But they seem to lose their bark a little bit when they're in front of him. I would like him [Whyte] to fight Wilder still. I think that if we didn't fight Wilder next and we had our August fight, then we could do Dillian against Wilder.

"Everybody wants to see AJ versus Wilder, it's difficult, but I would like to see Dillian get a shot at the world title before he fights AJ. It [Whyte vs Browne] is a really big fight for the division and the winner - Wilder and AJ are looking at this fight and saying - 'the winner is a million percent on my radar'.

"All AJ talks about is fighting Dillian Whyte again, because he seems to really want to do that. Of course Lucas Browne is a former world champion who is undefeated, so if he beats Dillian, all of a sudden he's a major player."

Harry West