Anthony Joshua among five potential future opponents for Dillian Whyte
- Lewis Oldham
- 29 May 2022
Even though Dillian Whyte was beaten decisively by Tyson Fury, there are still a lot of enticing opponents out there for ‘The Body Snatcher’.
Dillian Whyte hoped that April 23, 2022, would be his date with destiny.
After years of waiting for his opportunity at a world title, it came against his fellow Brit Tyson Fury at Wembley.
As he did against Deontay Wilder, Fury showed just how good he is when he stepped in with Whyte, who was no match for his superior opponent.
The challenger was outboxed and dismantled over six rounds before he was floored in front of 94,000 at the famous stadium.
'The Body Snatcher' pocketed around £5.5m for his - comfortably the largest purse of his career.
After such a payday, Whyte could ride off into the sunset and live a happy life without ever boxing again.
Though anyone who has watched him will know that he is a fighting man, and boxing is all he knows.
Aged 34, there are plenty more fights out there to him that fans would love to see. Here are five of them, and we start with a man Whyte was scheduled to face last year…
Otto Wallin
In September 2021, Whyte vs Otto Wallin was set to headline a Matchroom Boxing card at the O2 Arena.
Six months after getting revenge against Alexander Povetkin, Whyte was looking to keep himself ticking over versus another tough adversary.
Though with one eye on Fury, he pulled out of the Wallin fight just ten days before the event due to a shoulder injury.
Medical records show that Whyte's injury was legitimate, but there will likely be bad blood between the pair given the payday Wallin missed out on and the time wasted in camp.
Wallin would stand as a tough test for Whyte. The only loss on his record is against Fury, who was left cut and bruised after twelve rounds.
Otto Wallin can whack 😳 pic.twitter.com/SkDVbWBLOX
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 16, 2021
The Swede is a durable fighter who would cause problems for most current heavyweights.
Whyte would have the power to stop him, but he would have to search deep in his toolbox to find a way to beat such a game southpaw.
Deontay Wilder
Speaking of past Fury opponents, we come on to Wilder. A war with Whyte has long been talked about by fans and promoters alike.
After losing twice to Fury, it would have been understandable had Wilder's reputation been on the floor.
But he earned respect for how he stuck in there with 'The Gypsy King', even with him out on his feet at various points.
There's also no doubt that he gave the WBC world champion a tougher night all three times than the Brit managed at Wembley.
Whyte-Wilder is always going to be an intriguing fight. Given the power both possess, you cannot foresee a world where they would not deliver a barnstormer.
Even with no world title on the line, this is one of the biggest and best fights out there for both men. A win for either would catapult them straight back into world title contention.
The build-up would be on another scale and the inevitable knockout for either man would be brutal. With Wilder confirming that he is going to box again, this is a must over the next 18 months.
Joe Joyce
Another all-action battle would be a domestic clash against Joe Joyce.
The Olympic silver medallist has flown somewhat under the radar as a professional, but he is now getting the attention he deserves following wins over Daniel Dubois and Carlos Takam.
While Whyte is the bigger puncher than Joyce, the latter is always busy in the ring and he does not stop coming forward.
Joyce is not far away from a world title shot himself. His unmatched engine makes him a feared heavyweight, though that would not bother Whyte in the slightest.
This would not be the easiest fight to make given Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren's relationship. Though considering that Joyce is now 36, he really needs to kick on and take the big fights while they are there.
Speaking of which, he is due to face Joseph Parker later this year - and what a cracker that should be.
Whyte-Parker II is another bout we would pay to see, by the way.
Back on topic, should Whyte-Joyce happen, expect non-stop action over the distance, as both can take a punch and they will not stop throwing. Sign me up.
Andy Ruiz Jr
Now onto the man who shocked the world to dethrone Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in June 2019.
AJ got his revenge as he won comprehensively on points the second time around. He was helped by Ruiz enjoying his world title win a little too much, it's fair to say.
After a year-and-a-half out of the ring, he returned with a victory over Chris Arreola last May. Now working with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez's trainer - Eddy Reynoso - Ruiz looks focused and that is great for the heavyweight scene.
He goes in as the favourite against Luis Ortiz, who he fights later this year. If he does win, you'd imagine he would only be one or two good wins away from a world title shot.
Ruiz would have to get past a fighter of Whyte's calibre to get such an opportunity.
If he can return to the level he was against Joshua in 2019 - even with his low reach - his speed and flurry of punches make him a major threat in the heavyweight division.
Should he be at his best, a clash with The Body Snatcher would be a must-watch fight. A win for either may even set them up to battle one of their former foes…
Anthony Joshua 2
Whyte (16-0) and Joshua (14-0) were still inexperienced when they battled each other in a heated grudge match at the O2 Arena in 2015.
Before that fight, Joshua had steamrolled all of his opponents, winning all 14 of his fights by TKO/KO. He was the new prodigal son of British boxing, while his rival was the outsider looking to hamper his ascent to world honours.
There was real hatred between the pair before the fight and they delivered a classic in the ring. Whyte was able to hurt Joshua for the first time in his career before the latter won via stoppage in the seventh.
Despite fans clamouring for a rematch, the second fight is yet to come to pass.
Though with both now at a crossroads in their career, there is no better time for them to fight again.
Joshua is currently preparing for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. After how the first fight went, it is hard to look past another win for 'The Cat'.
Should this happen, a rematch with Whyte would be a great route to go down. Even without titles on the line, it is a huge domestic fight that would certainly fill up a stadium.
Both men have improved a lot since their first meeting. And if the rematch is anything like their 2015 clash, then we would be in for a treat.
