Dillian Whyte has confirmed that he received offers for rematches against Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker but instead decided to take on the challenging fight against Moses Itauma.
The former WBC interim heavyweight champion is scheduled to face the highly-rated prospect Itauma in Saudi Arabia on August 16.
Whyte revealed that discussions took place regarding potential bouts with his long-standing British rival Joshua and New Zealand`s Parker.
“You know what, I was presented with three potential opponents: AJ, Parker, and Moses Itauma,” Whyte stated in an exclusive interview.
“Those other guys were hesitant. Parker was asking for too much money, unwilling to agree on a fair financial split. AJ wasn`t prepared; clearly, they`re trying to keep their options open, but I`m not here to be someone`s fallback option.”
“In my opinion, Moses Itauma is someone nobody wants to fight. Throughout my career, I`ve consistently taken on the fights that others avoided, and that hasn`t changed now. This is a real opportunity, a significant one. Winning this fight puts me right back in contention, as if I never left.”
“Everyone seems intimidated by him. All these other heavyweights who claim to be tough and willing to fight anyone – they are clearly scared of facing this guy.”
“We are in this sport to fight, to entertain, and to deliver exciting bouts for the fans.”
Joshua, who hasn`t competed since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September, needed surgery on an problematic elbow.
Parker`s representatives offered no comment when asked about Whyte`s claims and have not yet announced his next fight after his victory over Martin Bakole in February.
“I would have truly liked to fight AJ again because he is the only fighter on that list who holds a professional win over me,” Whyte explained.
“I defeated him once [in the amateur ranks], and he defeated me once professionally. I was eager for a decider. However, due to AJ`s injuries, surgery, and recovery, there was uncertainty about when he would be ready.”
“He wasn`t going to be ready in time, so I decided: `Alright, I`m not going to put my career on hold waiting.`”
Regarding the potential Joseph Parker fight, Whyte commented: “With Joseph Parker, it comes down to him being greedy. When I fought him some years back, he was effectively on a losing streak at the time.”
“I offered him a particular percentage split that I felt was fair and just. And now he`s demanding excessive terms.”
“I questioned whether he truly wanted to fight someone who had previously defeated him or if he was simply motivated by the money. It`s clear he`s just focused on the financial side.”
“So I concluded: `Okay, fine, no worries.`”
“Then the opportunity to fight Moses came up, and my reaction was: `Absolutely, I will definitely take that fight.`”
(Regarding Moses Itauma: Promoter Frank Warren discussed a potential Itauma vs. Whyte clash on the Toe2Toe podcast.)
When asked if a future fight against Joshua is still possible, Whyte responded: “I genuinely don`t know, and to be honest, I don`t particularly care. I`m not 27 anymore; I don`t have the luxury of time to sit around waiting for these fighters.”
“My career philosophy has always been to challenge the best fighters of my generation. Everyone is talking about Moses Itauma, comparing him to Mike Tyson as the next big thing.”
“If I can step into the ring against him and secure a victory, what does that say about my capabilities? I have always embraced risks throughout my career.”
“This fight is simply another situation that makes sense to me personally. Some people might view it as a crazy or foolish decision, as some have suggested, but I have a different mindset and a different approach.”
“I was born into tough circumstances and have faced challenges my entire life. Taking risks is not something new or daunting for me. I would much rather take a risk and potentially fail than simply sit back and overthink things.”
Murray Blackwood