Anthony Joshua has told Dillian Whyte he should be prepared to go 12 rounds with Tyson Fury on Saturday night.
Whyte fights for a world title for the first time when he challenges WBC heavyweight champion Fury in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley. 'The Bodysnatcher' has waited for more than 1,000 days for his shot at the belt and is the current interim titleholder.
Fury is a big favourite going into the fight but his domestic rival Joshua believes Whyte shouldn't be counted out. 'AJ' thinks Whyte will be chomping at the bit to win his first world title and is rooting for him against Fury.
"Dillian Whyte needs to come in look at what Tyson Fury does and reacts to, and do the complete opposite," Joshua told iFL TV in February. "Maybe work the body and be conditioned to go the distance, but I hope Dillian trains hard and doesn’t underestimate Tyson.
Who wins this Saturday - Tyson Fury or Dillian Whyte? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
“It’s his first time fighting for a title, I think he’ll be hungry. This ain’t his 10th time fighting for a title and he can have a little hiccup along the way – this is his first time fighting for a title. I’m rooting for Dillian, even though I hate him and I wanna smash him one of these days. Go on Dillian, I’m with you all the way."
It didn't take long for Whyte to catch on to Joshua's comments after the interview, as he replied to his rival: "Why are you so bitter No.1 bull**** guy? Anthony Joshua what did I ever do to you man s*** haha. Good luck for your rematch with Oleksandr Usyk."
Joshua and Whyte have a rivalry dating back to 2009 when they fought each other as amateurs, with Whyte having his hand raised by decision. 'AJ' stayed on to compete in the 2012 Olympics and win gold whilst Whyte turned professional in 2011.
They crossed paths again in 2015 when Joshua was Commonwealth champion. In a back and forth fight, Joshua got his revenge by knocking out Whyte and ending his 16-fight unbeaten run. Since then, both fighters have expressed interest in facing each other for the third time.
Joshua will have to focus on a rematch with Usyk for now before thinking about a trilogy with Whyte. The 32-year-old looks to become a three-time heavyweight champion by winning his belts back against Usyk, with their rematch expected to take place in July.
