A highly anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua, a British professional boxer of Nigerian heritage, and his heavyweight rival Dillian Whyte is set to take place on August 12th at The O2 in London.
After their thrilling British title fight in Greenwich nearly eight years ago, the two-time unified heavyweight world champion Joshua and former world title challenger Whyte are ready to face off once again.
In their previous encounter, Joshua emerged victorious with a decisive seventh-round stoppage, following a fiercely contested battle. The rivalry between Whyte and Joshua dates back to 2009 when Whyte defeated the then-amateur Joshua in a points match.
Joshua went on to achieve an impressive streak of victories over notable opponents such as Charles Martin, Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Andy Ruiz, and Kubrat Pulev. These wins allowed him to unify the heavyweight division, securing the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. However, Joshua experienced back-to-back losses to Ukrainian pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 before bouncing back with a win against Jermaine Franklin at The O2 earlier this year under the guidance of his new trainer, Derrick James.
Whyte’s attempt to claim the world title against undefeated WBC champion Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in April 2022 resulted in a sixth-round TKO loss.
Expressing his thoughts on the upcoming rematch, Joshua stated on the DAZN website, “I’ve been clear that my plan is to be active this year. August 12 is the date, and I’ll be ready to fight. I look forward to handling business.”
Whyte added, “I’m looking forward to returning to the London O2 on August 12th and going to war. It’s 1-1, so this is the decider!”
Should Joshua emerge victorious against Whyte, he will have the opportunity to face Deontay Wilder next in Saudi Arabia.
