Anthony Joshua has made it clear that he will not waste his precious time waiting to fight rivals Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. Instead, the former world champion is gearing up for a rematch against Dillian Whyte next month.
After negotiations for a showdown British fight with Fury fell through, Joshua was understood to be considering a bout with Wilder in Saudi Arabia. However, the 33-year-old will now face off against Whyte once again, seeking to avenge a prior defeat in their British and Commonwealth title clash in December 2015.
Having recently bounced back from back-to-back losses against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua is determined to rebuild his record. In April, he triumphed over Jermaine Franklin on points and will now look to capitalise on the sold-out fight at the O2 Arena
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the rematch, Joshua expressed his enthusiasm for fighting.
"I don't waste my time with time wasters," Joshua stated. "I just want to fight, get on with it. I'm going to be 34 this year, let's crack on while I'm here, I'm not going to waste my time waiting for people and chasing for people."
READ: Tyson Fury responds to Anthony Joshua ahead of 'game-changer' next fight
If Joshua is successful in his fight against Whyte, he is expected to face Wilder in another highly anticipated heavyweight showdown. The potential matchup has the potential to be a career-defining moment for Joshua.
"This is a massive night for my career," Joshua declared. "Dillian is a credible and solid opponent, I have an underlying respect for every man I get in the ring with. I could fight now, it is in my heart. I just want to fight."
Joshua believes that he would be facing stronger criticism from boxing fans if he was in Fury's shoes, later adding: "I leave it to the people's opinion but if that was me, what would people say? I'm going to start holding people accountable in the same way they hold me. Yes, Usyk didn't duck but Fury did duck."
For Whyte, this rematch is an opportunity to level up with Joshua in the professional ring. He previously defeated Joshua in the amateurs and believes that securing victories against both Joshua and Fury would be the perfect way to end his boxing career.
"I have had three losses, avenged one, if I get the other two (Joshua and Fury) I don't care about boxing after that," Whyte expressed. "We have both had three losses but we both have a lot of hunger, so I can't wait to get in there - I am hoping for the best version of him, I don't worry about what people say. I am coming to fight and have nothing to lose."
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