Dillian Whyte vows to retire Anthony Joshua from boxing

Dillian Whyte has expressed his desire to end Anthony Joshua‘s boxing career, should the two meet in the ring again.

Whyte, 36-year-old  was among the names mentioned by promoter Eddie Hearn as potential opponents for Anthony Joshua, who is weighing his options after Tyson Fury announced his retirement recently.

Whyte, who returned to action on December 15, 2024, with a stoppage victory over Ebenezer Tetteh, has been vocal about his willingness to face Joshua. Despite his performance against Tetteh being less than convincing, “The Body Snatcher” remains eager for another chance to settle scores with his old rival.

“If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me. They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me—it’s just negotiation tactics from them. I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me,” Whyte said as quoted by Sky Sports.

Whyte, who was defeated by Joshua in 2015, believes the former two-time heavyweight champion is nearing the end of his career and relishes the prospect of delivering the final blow.
“I think he’s finished. Eddie [Hearn] has publicly stated Joshua could fight me next, but whether he will or not, I don’t know. If they or his people want it, then we wait to see. I would love to retire him.”

Joshua, now 34, is considering his next move after Tyson Fury’s retirement left him without a planned opponent for a potential comeback fight at Wembley this summer. Joshua last fought in September, where he suffered a fifth-round stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in his bid to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.

A rematch between Joshua and Whyte was initially scheduled for August 2023 but fell through after Whyte failed a drugs test. However, he was later cleared to resume his career in March 2024 when it was revealed the positive test resulted from a contaminated supplement.

Joshua has since recorded three victories before his defeat to Dubois, while Whyte remains optimistic about reigniting their rivalry. Whether or not the long-anticipated rematch materializes, one thing is clear—Whyte is determined to make a statement.