‘I Think He’s Finished’: Anthony Joshua Rival Doubts His Future But Welcomes Fight

On December 12, 2015, Anthony Joshua met his old amateur Rival Dillian Whyte at the 02 Arena, London. It was mostly AJ in control, but Whyte did catch him in the second round. The stoppage came in round seven, with Joshua rocking his old rival with a right hook, which he followed up with a devastating uppercut, ending the fight.

Both were supposed to meet again on August 12, 2023, before the fight was cancelled on August 5 due to the news “Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol.”  Talk of a Joshua vs Whyte rematch has never gone away since, and “The Body Snatcher” has had his say when speaking to Sky Sports on a potential rematch while dismissing his old rival.

Dillian Whyte Questions Anthony Joshua’s Future, Eyes Rematch

Whyte Believes Joshua’s Career is Over

Whyte returned to action on December 15, 2024, beating Ebenezer Tetteh, who retired at the end of round seven. It was an unconvincing performance from “The Body Snatcher,” but it hasn’t stopped the Jamaican-born fighter from looking ahead to possible future big fights, including a rematch with AJ: “[Joshua] Sounds perfect for me. They don’t need to ask me twice. They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me, so it’s just negotiation tactics from them,”Whyte said. 

He added: “But I’m up for the fight and I’m ready to fight again.”

Dillian Whyte could be next for Joshua, and on that possibility, he said: “If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me.” He continued: “I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished.”

The Future

It’s unclear what’s next for Joshua or Whyte and how much they have left in their careers. The question remains: could either make it back to the heavyweight top table? A rematch between them would undoubtedly signal the end of the loser’s career. 2025 is shaping up to be a memorable year for the heavyweight division. How much AJ and Whyte will be involved remains to be seen.