‘He was spaced out’ – Dillian Whyte left confused by ‘weird’ rival Anthony Joshua after defeat but makes new rematch plea
Dillian Whyte was left confused by Anthony Joshua’s performance against Daniel Dubois but is still keen for a rematch. Joshua recently suffered a devastating defeat, being dropped four times and stopped by Dubois in front of a record-breaking crowd at Wembley Stadium in September. Joshua was beaten by DuboisGETTY Many analysed AJ’s display and insisted it was uncharacteristic, with some blaming the corner instructions, while others noticed supposed faults in his pre-fight behaviour. Former rival Whyte, who famously lost to his British rival in 2015, noticed Joshua didn’t look right in the ring and claimed he was confused by his behaviour. He said on talkSPORT Fight Night: “AJ seemed to be very good or very bad, it’s never in the middle. “Last few years he seems to be there or he’s not there. He’s achieved so much for the game so I don’t want to be disrespectful. “He’s there or not there, AJ’s a weird one. You can never understand what he’s going to do. “If you look at the fight, AJ is just standing there spaced out and staring for five minutes. He seemed like he wasn’t there. “It was so weird, he was jabbing and retreating. He wasn’t do anything offensive.” When asked if he would rather fight Joshua again next, or Deontay Wilder, he went on to add: “I’d still definitely fight AJ next. “I really hate Deontay Wilder, but I have been stopped by AJ. “I have never been stopped by Wilder so I’d still love to get that one back [in a rematch].” Whyte wants a sequel with Joshua despite his current predicamentGETTY Joshua and Whyte were set to meet in a rematch last year, but the ‘Body Snatcher’ saw an anti-doping test find ‘adverse’ findings and it was cancelled. Despite AJ now facing another rebuild, a showdown with Whyte could well be on the cards in the coming years. The former two-time world champion defied some calls to hang up his gloves, insisting he has more to give in the heavyweight division. Joshua looked as if he would call in an immediate revenge mission against Dubois in February, but minor injuries could delay his comeback. Promoter Eddie Hearn insists his charge could instead now wait to see the outcome of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, before deciding his next opponent. “AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing,” Hearn told the BBC. “For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks. “There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that. “It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won [vs Oleksandr Usyk]. “Then we’re sitting there going, ‘Hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’ “Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”
Dillian Whyte was left confused by Anthony Joshua’s performance against Daniel Dubois but is still keen for a rematch.
Joshua recently suffered a devastating defeat, being dropped four times and stopped by Dubois in front of a record-breaking crowd at Wembley Stadium in September.
Many analysed AJ’s display and insisted it was uncharacteristic, with some blaming the corner instructions, while others noticed supposed faults in his pre-fight behaviour.
Former rival Whyte, who famously lost to his British rival in 2015, noticed Joshua didn’t look right in the ring and claimed he was confused by his behaviour.
He said on talkSPORT Fight Night: “AJ seemed to be very good or very bad, it’s never in the middle.
“Last few years he seems to be there or he’s not there. He’s achieved so much for the game so I don’t want to be disrespectful.
“He’s there or not there, AJ’s a weird one. You can never understand what he’s going to do.
“If you look at the fight, AJ is just standing there spaced out and staring for five minutes. He seemed like he wasn’t there.
“It was so weird, he was jabbing and retreating. He wasn’t do anything offensive.”
When asked if he would rather fight Joshua again next, or Deontay Wilder, he went on to add: “I’d still definitely fight AJ next.
“I really hate Deontay Wilder, but I have been stopped by AJ.
“I have never been stopped by Wilder so I’d still love to get that one back [in a rematch].”
Joshua and Whyte were set to meet in a rematch last year, but the ‘Body Snatcher’ saw an anti-doping test find ‘adverse’ findings and it was cancelled.
Despite AJ now facing another rebuild, a showdown with Whyte could well be on the cards in the coming years.
The former two-time world champion defied some calls to hang up his gloves, insisting he has more to give in the heavyweight division.
Joshua looked as if he would call in an immediate revenge mission against Dubois in February, but minor injuries could delay his comeback.
Promoter Eddie Hearn insists his charge could instead now wait to see the outcome of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, before deciding his next opponent.
“AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing,” Hearn told the BBC.
“For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks.
“There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that.
“It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won [vs Oleksandr Usyk].
“Then we’re sitting there going, ‘Hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’
“Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”
