Friday 21 September 2018 20:58, UK
Dillian Whyte says he can ill afford to stay out of the ring with his next fight likely to be against either Dereck Chisora or Dominic Breazeale.
Whyte was offered £5m by Chisora at Anthony Joshua's weigh-in for his world title fight against Alexander Povetkin on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Talks continue over a proposed rematch, following Whyte's split decision win in December 2016, between the two domestic heavyweight rivals with mutual promoter Eddie Hearn keen to see the pair trade blows once again.
Whyte, 30, last fought in July against Joseph Parker when he secured a points win at the O2, while Breazeale admitted last month he had expected a fight against the 30-year-old to have happened this year.
"I am in a funny position because I am highly ranked across the board. I am No 1 challenger in two of the governing bodies," Whyte told Sky Sports.
People won't accept me fighting a journeyman or easy fights. I have got to have top-level fights.
"After this Povetkin fight I should be No 1 challenger for the WBO as well as WBC. So do I sit and wait 10 months to get a title shot or do I stay active and keep fighting?
"People won't accept me fighting a journeyman or easy fights. I have got to have top-level fights. We had a think about it and Chisora is the next big thing outside a title fight, or Dominic Breazeale.
"We wanted to fight [Jarrell] Miller but he doesn't want to fight at all. He said 'nope, I am not fighting Dillian Whyte' so it is only Dominic Breazeale or Chisora. They are both good fights."
Matchroom promoter Hearn has said Whyte could be in line to fight Joshua in April for a title at Wembley Stadium but the Brixton man says it would be dangerous to wait.
"I can't sit down and wait that long. Inactivity is the worst thing you can have as a competing athlete," he said.
"When you are active and you are training in camp, you are dieting, disciplining yourself it pays off in the long run.
"There are guys who have a long time out of the ring and when they come back they just don't look the same fighter. I need to stay active and I have to think about the fights because people aren't going to come to the O2 to come and see me fight a top-level journeyman.
I can't sit down and wait that long. Inactivity is the worst thing you can have as a competing athlete.
"They want to see me fight a top-level fighter so that is what we are going to be very mindful of and consider when we take these fights."
Whyte insists a rematch with 'Del Boy' wouldn't be a backwards step, despite saying he had "bigger fish to fry" after his win over Parker.
"He [Chisora] is tough, he is brave. He takes a lot of punishment and he keeps coming forward," Whyte said.
"This was my first proper 12-rounder and this was my first big test since coming off the Anthony Joshua fight. I fought well, [but] made a lot mistakes.
"This is a man who had fifteen 12 round fights [to his name]. I learned from that fight."
He added: "He wasn't punching very hard. I took his punches and just came back. He is a veteran fighter and I was still able to come on stronger as the fight went on.
"This time the fight won't go on past six rounds. I will stop him in the first six rounds this time.
"There seems to be some people saying it was a close fight so I would like to get in there again and put a stop to it all once and for all."
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Watch Joshua vs Povetkin, at Wembley Stadium, on September 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book via your Sky remote or book it online here.
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