- Planet Sport writer
- 5 August 2023
Dillian Whyte out of Anthony Joshua rematch after returning ‘adverse finding’ in doping test
Dillian Whyte's much-anticipated rematch with Anthony Joshua has been officially cancelled.
Dillian Whyte is a British heavyweight boxer and a former British, WBC Silver and WBO international titlist.
He got his shot at world title in April 2022 but he was brutally stopped by Tyson Fury.
Whyte, who 'dodged bullets' in Jamaica, moved to the UK at the age of 12 and admitted he struggled to progress at school in London.
"I didn't do too well at school, to be honest, but boxing saved me and changed my life. And it was going well, because I knew it was my best chance in life," Whyte said.
Early days
Training at Miguel's Boxing Gym in Brixton, Whyte also learnt his craft as a kickboxer and mixed-martial-artist.
The "Bodysnatcher" is a former BIKMA British and K1 European super heavyweight champion in kickboxing and won his sole fight in MMA, knocking out Mark Stroud inside 12 seconds in 2008.
Whyte vs Joshua 2
Eight years after losing in the seventh round to Anthony Joshua at O2 Arena in London, Whyte will get another shot at his British rival.
The same venue will host the rematch on August 12, 2023. Joshua and Whyte were both unbeaten in their professional careers heading into the first meeting as AJ captured the British heavyweight title by knocking out Whyte.
"I don't look at Dillian as a rival, just another body, they have a lot of hate for. me. a lot of people hate on me so with Dillian, I worry about myself and stay in my lane," said Joshua.
There are huge implications for the rematch as Whyte can wreck Joshua's chance of securing a mega clash with Deontay Wilder in December.
Whyte beats Franklin
Whyte overcame the previously unbeaten AMerican Jermaine Franklin in a gruelling 12 round contest in November 2022.
Whyte was backoin the comback trail after his beating by Tyson Fury earlier in the year and he returned to winning ways winning by majority decision.
Whyte failed to make a statement to the rest of the heavyweight division and Franklin proved to be a worthy dance partner.
One judge scored the fight a 115-115 draw, while the other two judges at ringside scored the fight 116-112 in Whyte's favour.
Whyte vs Fury
Whyte got his shot at Fury's WBC heavyweight title in front of a packed Wembley in April 2022.
But the Brixton man, who started the fight as a southpaw, was sensationally knocked out in the sixth round with 94,000 watching on.
Fury downed Whyte with a smart uppercut with a second to go in the sixth round. Whyte staggered to his feet, but was badly dazed and the referee called it off.
Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin 1 & 2
Whyte defended his WBC interim belt in August 2020 in the fourth and final week of Fight Camp with Katie Taylor's rematch against Delfine Persoon being the co-feature.
Promoted by Eddie Hearn, Fight Camp was staged in Essex, England - Matchroom's HQ. Whyte's bout against Alexander Povetkin saw it become the first British pay-per-view event in boxing since the global pandemic.
Despite dominating the first four rounds, which included two knockdowns, the Russian delivered a stunning left uppercut to knock out Whyte in the fifth.
In doing so, Povetkin had not only captured the WBC interim strap but also became the mandatory challenger to Tyson Fury's green-and-gold belt - a position Whyte had been in for more than 500 days.
"It was a great fight and Povetkin did well. I know I can beat him, I showed that from round one. Obviously he is very experienced," Whyte told Sky Sports in his first interview since the defeat to Povetkin.
"His corner was on the verge of pulling him out. But he pulled out one of the best punches of his career. That's heavyweight boxing, full of drama, ups and downs.
"I didn't rush him in the fourth round because he is dangerous - when he's hurt he swings big punches. He was on his last legs and I was pressing him. But that's heavyweight boxing, man. That's what happens.
"I'm still one of the top heavyweights around. It's not like I'm old or beaten up. I'm still learning. I learned from a harsh mistake. I'm still the same me, ready to go, I can't wait to get back in there.
"He is a very dangerous guy. I was bossing it, winning the fight, but I got caught. It wasn't like I got beaten up round after round. I just got clocked! Fair play to him, he set it up and landed a punch.
"He's a good fighter who has beaten a lot of top guys. In the rematch, I will handle business."
The rematch had been slated for November 21 with Wembley's SSE Arena set to host it until Povetkin tested positive for Covid-19. They ended up fighting on March 31, 2021, in Gibraltar.
The rematch ended in a stunning knockout victory for Whyte in the fourth round.
The greatest hits: Joshua, Rivas and Parker
Whyte is now an established pay-per-view star in the UK but he had to do it the hard way in the pro ranks. He first came into prominence when being selected as Joshua's opponent in 2015 for the famous Lonsdale belt.
The build-up was one full of hostility with the pair sharing history in the amateur ranks. Whyte won the fight in convincing style.
Huge betting favourite Joshua got rocked severely in round two of the showdown but rallied back to knock Whyte out in the seventh round to keep his record unblemished.
Domestic wins followed for Whyte over Dave Allen and Ian Lewitson before the beginning of a duology with bitter foe Derek Chisora.
The feud was a real one with threats, tables thrown at press conferences and security separating them during an episode of The Gloves are Off.
Fighter-turned-presenter Johnny Nelson revealed it was one of three rivalries that he felt were real during recording with the other two being Joshua-Whyte and Froch-Groves.
The bout - which was on the same night as Josh Warrington's victory against Carl Frampton - was the second PPV Whyte had headlined but this time he came out on top with a razor-thin split-decision win.
The rematch took place two years later. Rebranding himself as "War" Chisora, the Zimbabwe-born fighter teamed up with David Haye in hope of avenging the defeat.
Up on the scorecards in the penultimate round, Chisora's chances of a sensational win were ended after Whyte delivered a sensational left hook to the body at London's O2 Arena.
In between the two bouts with Chisora, Whyte racked up impressive wins over former world champion duo Lucas Browne and Joseph Parker and got off the canvas to beat Oscar Rivas in 2019.
Trainer Mark Tibbs was in his corner during all of those wins but got replaced for his bout against Povetkin after being unable to train Whyte in Portugal. Xavier Miller was promoted as his head trainer to the fight with experienced coach Dave Coldwell also present.
Personal life
Whyte has openly spoken about the struggles he faced during his youth. At the age of 13, having moved to the UK 12 months prior, Whyte became a father and was working two jobs to provide food for his child.
He has had two more children since. Caught up in a Clapham gang war, Whyte made several trips to his local A&E in South London after being stabbed on three occasions.
He was also shot at twice with one bullet hitting his leg, only for Whyte to pick the bullet out rather than tell his mother with concerns as to how she would react.
At 19, Whyte avoided a potential 20 years in prison and that was when he turned to combat sport to channel his aggression.
In 2012, Whyte tested positive for banned substance stimulant methylhexanamine (MHA) and received a two-year ban despite pleading his innocence.
Dillian Whyte's net worth
According to Facts Five, Whyte's net worth prior to his fight with Parker was estimated at $2.8million.
His biggest paydays include defeats to Joshua and Povetkin as well as PPV wins over Rivas and Chisora.
A rematch with Joshua or a showdown with Fury could see Whyte pocket up to $7million if he can avenge his loss to Povetkin in 2021.
