10-20-2017, 08:07 PM
DiBella: Wilder vs. Whyte To Get Joshua is Stupid, Whyte Irrelevant!
Promoter Lou DiBella, who works with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs), feels it's absurd that his boxer would have to face Dillian Whyte to earn a unification with IBF, IBO, WBA champion Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs).
Joshua was preparing to face Kubrat Pulev for his first fight since his dramatic 11th-round stoppage of the great Wladimir Klitschko in April, but a shoulder injury saw the Bulgarian pull out this week and Carlos Takam step in to take the heavyweight bout on October 28 in Cardiff.
The biggest fight for Joshua is a unification with WBC champion Deontay Wilder. (38-0, 37 KOs), who faces Bermane Stiverne on November
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes that fight could use a little more sizzle, which is why he wants Wilder to face Dillian Whyte and the winner gets Joshua. Whyte fights Robert Helenius for the WBC silver belt on the Joshua-Takam undercard.
"I think the Wilder fight is one for next summer. I’d like [Wilder] to fight Dillian Whyte. I mean I’ve talked to [Wilder's] guys again today - and the winner fights Josh. [WBO champion Joseph] Parker is a fight we could look at in February or March. But you know we’ve got a WBA mandatory, potentially... I don’t know," Hearn told BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.
"But I think the main aim is to fight three times next year, and I’d like two of those [fights] to be for additional belts. It doesn’t always work out like that, but the aim is to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."
DiBella feels the idea is ridiculous, because he views Whyte as an "irrelevant" piece of the puzzle in Wilder's plans.
The New York promoter wants to know why Hearn - if Whyte is so valuable at the weight - didn't match him against Joshua - when Pulev fell out of the main event.
"The concept that we would somehow feel obligated, or the necessity to fight Dillian Whyte for a chance to fight Anthony Joshua is a joke," DiBella told Sky Sports.
"In the past - this is a fact - we offered Hughie Fury on numerous occasions to fight Deontay. He turned us down. We would love to fight Joseph Parker at any point, any place. They can put it in a soccer stadium in New Zealand and Deontay will still knock him out. We're not running from that fight. We're not running from any fight. It's nothing against Dillian Whyte personally, but I have no need to discuss Dillian Whyte. Dillian Whyte is irrelevant to the future of Deontay Wilder.
"If Dillian Whyte is such a force in the heavyweight division, why is AJ fighting Carlos Takam and not Dillian Whyte? Once Pulev was injured, I imagine AJ could have fought anyone he wanted, and Dillian Whyte was scheduled to fight, so why isn't AJ fighting Dillian Whyte? I think AJ is a great young fighter, but I think the greatest danger to AJ in the world is Deontay Wilder. I think the fight will eventually happen."
Promoter Lou DiBella, who works with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs), feels it's absurd that his boxer would have to face Dillian Whyte to earn a unification with IBF, IBO, WBA champion Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs).
Joshua was preparing to face Kubrat Pulev for his first fight since his dramatic 11th-round stoppage of the great Wladimir Klitschko in April, but a shoulder injury saw the Bulgarian pull out this week and Carlos Takam step in to take the heavyweight bout on October 28 in Cardiff.
The biggest fight for Joshua is a unification with WBC champion Deontay Wilder. (38-0, 37 KOs), who faces Bermane Stiverne on November
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes that fight could use a little more sizzle, which is why he wants Wilder to face Dillian Whyte and the winner gets Joshua. Whyte fights Robert Helenius for the WBC silver belt on the Joshua-Takam undercard.
"I think the Wilder fight is one for next summer. I’d like [Wilder] to fight Dillian Whyte. I mean I’ve talked to [Wilder's] guys again today - and the winner fights Josh. [WBO champion Joseph] Parker is a fight we could look at in February or March. But you know we’ve got a WBA mandatory, potentially... I don’t know," Hearn told BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.
"But I think the main aim is to fight three times next year, and I’d like two of those [fights] to be for additional belts. It doesn’t always work out like that, but the aim is to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."
DiBella feels the idea is ridiculous, because he views Whyte as an "irrelevant" piece of the puzzle in Wilder's plans.
The New York promoter wants to know why Hearn - if Whyte is so valuable at the weight - didn't match him against Joshua - when Pulev fell out of the main event.
"The concept that we would somehow feel obligated, or the necessity to fight Dillian Whyte for a chance to fight Anthony Joshua is a joke," DiBella told Sky Sports.
"In the past - this is a fact - we offered Hughie Fury on numerous occasions to fight Deontay. He turned us down. We would love to fight Joseph Parker at any point, any place. They can put it in a soccer stadium in New Zealand and Deontay will still knock him out. We're not running from that fight. We're not running from any fight. It's nothing against Dillian Whyte personally, but I have no need to discuss Dillian Whyte. Dillian Whyte is irrelevant to the future of Deontay Wilder.
"If Dillian Whyte is such a force in the heavyweight division, why is AJ fighting Carlos Takam and not Dillian Whyte? Once Pulev was injured, I imagine AJ could have fought anyone he wanted, and Dillian Whyte was scheduled to fight, so why isn't AJ fighting Dillian Whyte? I think AJ is a great young fighter, but I think the greatest danger to AJ in the world is Deontay Wilder. I think the fight will eventually happen."