In this week’s Fight Talk we discuss potential opponents for Dillian Whyte after the British heavyweight avenged his loss to Alexander Povetkin with victory in Gibraltar on Saturday.
Plus we hear the latest news on a possible exhibition bout between former world champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, and Britain’s Amir Khan stars in his own new reality TV show.
Who could be next for Whyte?
Before Saturday night, Whyte’s career was hanging in the balance.
Having been knocked out by Povetkin in August, the Briton entered the rematch knowing it was a must-win fight for any world-title aspirations to materialise any time soon.
And a rejuvenated Whyte came back with a bang, courtesy of a brutal stoppage in Gibraltar.
Whyte’s no-nonsense, aggressive approach – a style which has endeared him to the British fans – means he is rarely in a dull fight.
While he is not one to ever shy away from speaking his mind, the Londoner is always gracious in both victory and defeat…
So with his career back on track – who should ‘The Body Snatcher’ fight next? Let’s have a look at some of the possible contenders.
The most mouth-watering match-up is with former champion Deontay Wilder. The American and Whyte have a long-standing feud which dates back more than two years…
Whyte was mandatory for the WBC belt – a status he has regained after beating Povetkin – but a bout with Wilder never came to fruition.
Speaking before his win on Saturday, Whyte indicated his feelings towards Wilder remain the same…
Although Wilder has since lost his belt to Tyson Fury, a fight between him and Whyte would undoubtedly be one of the most lucrative for the Briton.
And it’s the one Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn wants to deliver for his fighter.
“For me that’s a stadium fight, that’s a colossal fight,” Hearn said after Whyte’s win.
Another possibility is ex-champion Andy Ruiz Jr, who shocked the world in July 2019 when he beat Anthony Joshua.
The Mexican has not fought since losing the rematch to Joshua six months later, but both he and Whyte have also been involved in various social media back and forth, with this being the most recent…
While Wilder and Ruiz Jr may be familiar names, Whyte has also said he would like to fight the lesser-known American Trevor Bryan for the WBA ‘regular’ strap.
Bryan is undefeated in 21 fights, although his stoppage win over Bermane Stiverne in January is his only bout in nearly two and half years.
These fight fans wouldn’t mind seeing Whyte-Bryan take place next…
And finally (and perhaps the most unlikely), Whyte – as WBC mandatory challenger – would relish a meeting with Fury.
With an undisputed mega-fight between Fury and Joshua in the pipeline, Whyte might have to wait for his crack at the world title.
Joshua and Fury have reportedly signed a two-fight deal for 2021, although Fury’s dad put a bit of a dampener on things this week by saying it may not happen.
“What have they signed? They’ve signed nothing in my eyes,” John Fury told BT Sport.
“Tyson needs to fight twice this year, with or without AJ.”
So maybe Fury-Whyte isn’t as improbable as we might think?
Will Tyson-Holyfield III happen?
From the current crop of heavyweights to legends of the division, the exhibition bout between former foes Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield continued to dominate boxing news this past week.
In November, Tyson, 54, returned to the ring after 15 years, drawing an eight-round exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr.
Since then, all the talk has been about a third fight with 58-year-old Holyfield.
Holyfield – who retired in 2014 – beat Tyson twice in the 1990s, including the infamous second fight in which Tyson was disqualified for biting his opponent’s ear.
The two were reportedly set to clash again at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 29 May, in a fight which would generate several million dollars for both men.
But, according to Holyfield, ‘Iron Mike’ has pulled out…
However, Tyson insists the fight is still on.
“Holyfield’s a humble man, I know that. And he’s a man of God, but I’m God’s man,” he said on Instagram Live.
“And, listen, I’m going to be successful on May 29.”
Meet The Khans: Big in Bolton
We’re going to leave you this week with a plug for a new BBC Three documentary.
He’s an Olympic silver medallist, two-time world champion and was once the poster boy for British boxing.
And now Amir Khan is also the star of his very own reality TV show…
You can catch every episode of ‘Meet the Khans: Big in Bolton’ on the BBC iPlayer now.
It’s well worth a watch; like him or loathe him, Khan is always box office entertainment.
