Anthony Joshua is set to have a highly anticipated rematch with fellow British heavyweight Dillian Whyte on August 12th. Joshua, who is looking to bounce back from his two successive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, secured a comeback victory against American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin on April 1st this year. The fight between Joshua and Whyte will take place at the O2 Arena.
Dillian Whyte (29-3, 19 KO’s) has been eager for a rematch with Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KO’s) since their initial bout in 2015 which ended in a 7th round TKO win for Joshua. His persistent demands finally forced promoter Eddie Hearn to make the fight happen. Negotiations between Joshua’s team and Whyte’s team reached a definitive conclusion after Whyte publicly accused Joshua of avoiding him during an interview with talkSPORT. The announcement of Whyte fighting Joshua followed shortly thereafter within two weeks.
In the interview, Whyte expressed his frustration with Eddie Hearn and claimed that he had been negotiating with him for years. He also stated that he was satisfied with the potential earnings from a fight with Joshua, although he did not disclose the exact amount.
With the announcement of the Joshua-Whyte rematch, Whyte’s concerns seem to have been resolved. However, Joshua is still linked to a potential fight with former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KO’s) in December.
It’s worth noting that last month, Joshua denied rumors of a potential fight with Whyte in August. This denial contradicts the recent announcement that confirmed they would be fighting on August 12. Eddie Hearn further added to the confusion by claiming that Joshua always wanted to fight Whyte. Though Hearn confirmed the Wilder fight to occur in December, there has been no official announcement from Deontay Wilder or his team regarding the Joshua-Wilder fight.
Hearn also mentioned that if Joshua were to lose to Whyte, the proposed deal for the Joshua-Wilder fight might not go through. He explained that there was some reluctance to have Joshua fight Whyte at this time, as it could potentially jeopardize the Wilder fight scheduled for December.
Despite Joshua initially stating that he would not fight three times this year, the announcement of the Whyte rematch suggests a change in plans. If Joshua emerges victorious against Whyte, it is highly likely that he will proceed to face Wilder in December, thus fulfilling the original set goal of fighting three times this year.
In summary, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are set to have a rematch in August, with Joshua also being linked to a potential fight with Deontay Wilder in December. The details surrounding the latter fight, including the exact arrangements and official announcements, remain unclear.
