Anthony Joshua gifted world title by Charles Martin, says Dillian Whyte
Tuesday 12 April 2016 09:16, UK
Dillian Whyte claims Charles Martin gifted Anthony Joshua the world heavyweight title and is plotting his own challenge.
Whyte (16-1-KO13) fought out a classic British title clash with Joshua (16-0-KO16) in December before being knocked out in the seventh.
Having watched Joshua become IBF champion with an emphatic second-round stoppage of Martin (23-1-1-KO21) on April 9, Whyte is hoping to book a rematch with his long-time rival.
Whyte told Sky Sports: "Martin was terrible. I couldn't believe how terrible he was. He knew he was coming here to give his belt away so he just went to the highest bidder. Fair play to him, though - he got paid for losing his belt.
"It's rubbish that Joshua is punching harder; Martin is just crap. Martin never had the desire and the will to win. I had the desire and the will to win even though I was injured in the second round. Martin never had it.
"Because I'm not an Olympic champion with media hype behind me, a lot of people underestimate me. I get in there and I fight. I had a massive injury but showed up and gave the fans a night they'll remember for years.
"I've always known I am of that level. There are only a few things that let me down in the last fight and I'm now adjusting them, so we'll see when I return."
Since his sole career defeat, Whyte has undergone major surgery on his shoulder and is in the process of scheduling his return.
The 28-year-old added: "If I sit here and go off my pride and ambition, I'd say [I'd fight Joshua again] as soon as possible. I need to be realistic though - I'm coming off big shoulder surgery. My surgeon was amazed I got in the ring and fought. It was quite bad.
"I want to have a couple of fights to test my shoulder out and then I want to go straight back into the big fights. If the rematch is available in December, I'll definitely have it. I want the rematch with him and this time I'll be healthy. I was about 45 per cent last time.
"I'm punching. I'm looking to make my comeback in June, definitely. At the moment, there are a few offers on the table so we're going to look through them and make a decision. My shoulder is healing up well and I'll be back stronger and better than I was before."
Another Londoner, Dereck Chisora, has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Whyte later this year.
