Monday 19 March 2018 15:55, UK
Anthony Joshua would welcome another Dillian Whyte 'tear-up' if his British heavyweight rival can defeat Lucas Browne, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Whyte can stay on course for a world title fight with a victory over Browne at The O2 this Saturday night, live on Sky Sports, and promoter Eddie Hearn firmly believes he will feature in the future plans for Joshua.
Tempers boiled over inside the ring as Joshua overcame an early scare to stop Whyte in December 2015, and the current WBA 'super' and IBF champion would be interested in a rematch with 'The Body Snatcher.'
He loves having a tear-up, and he knows Dillian will give him a tear-up.
"I know that Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte again," Hearn exclusively told Sky Sports.
"I think if you asked him and said 'Tell me one fight in the division you want?' He could say Dillian Whyte, because he loved it, and he feels as though he wasn't his best, because he lost his rag a little bit.
"But he's improved so much and he loves having a tear-up, and he knows Dillian will give him a tear-up.
"He loves the build-up. He wants people to go at him at the pressers, AJ. But they seem to lose their bark a little bit when they're in front of him."
Whyte is the WBC's No 1 ranked contender, putting himself in touching distance of a shot at WBC champion Deontay Wilder, but defeat would see Browne snatch his lofty position with the governing body.
"It's a really big fight for the division and the winner - Wilder and AJ are looking at this fight and saying - the winner is a million per cent on my radar," said Hearn.
"All AJ talks about is fighting Dillian Whyte again, because he seems to really want to do that. Of course Lucas Browne is a former world champion who is undefeated, so if he beats Dillian, all of a sudden he's a major player.
"This for me, is the most important fight, and the best fight outside of the championship fights. The winner is going to be No 1 in the WBC, because Dillian already is. He's going to be top five in every governing body and you're there."
Joshua is less than a fortnight away from a unification clash against Joseph Parker on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and Wilder will be ringside to stoke up interest in a potential fight with the winner.
But Whyte could still be in contention for a shot at Wilder this summer.
"I would like him to fight Wilder still," Hearn added. "I think that if we [Joshua] didn't fight Wilder next and we had our August fight, then we could do Dillian against Wilder.
"Everybody wants to see AJ versus Wilder, it's difficult, but I would like to see Dillian get a shot at the world title before he fights AJ."
Watch Dillian Whyte against Lucas Browne on Saturday March 24 at The O2, from 7pm on Sky Sports Action
