Dillian Whyte issues worrying update on Anthony Joshua rematch

Dillian Whyte says his proposed rematch with Anthony Joshua this summer is unlikely to happen, accusing his rival and his team of not being ‘serious’ in efforts to get the fight on.

Eddie Hearn revealed earlier this month an offer has been sent to Whyte with 12 August a proposed date for their heavyweight clash.

Joshua and Whyte shared an absorbing rivalry in 2015, culminating in the Olympian’s seventh round knockout victory over the Brixton fighter.

Joshua recorded a win over Jermaine Franklin in April, his first fight under new trainer Derrick James, and is eager to fight again before the summer is out with a huge meeting with Deontay Wilder in the works for December.

Whyte is sceptical over that plan, however and says time is running out to get a deal done.

‘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.

‘This fight should have been made a month after it [Franklin fight].’

With talks for Joshua to fight Wilder at the end of the year thought to be progressing well, Whyte is not surprised by the lack of progress regarding their rematch, suggesting the AJ camp are wary of taking the risk.

‘No, I’m not surprised,’ he said. ‘I don’t blame them, if he is going to get £50million to fight Wilder in Saudi in December, why would they take the chance of fighting me? It doesn’t make sense.’

Whyte’s last fight also came against US fighter Jermaine Franklin, outpointing the American last November.

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