Joshua vs Whyte: Preview of the British and Commonwealth heavyweight title bout
Saturday 12 December 2015 22:46, UK
Your one-stop preview of Saturday's British and Commonwealth heavyweight title clash between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
Background
In 2009, Dillian Whyte knocked down and beat Anthony Joshua in the amateur ranks - beginning a rivalry that has led to a sold-out O2 on Saturday night, when the two will fight for the vacant British crown and Joshua's Commonwealth belt.
Joshua and Whyte appeared to have buried their differences when they met at a Wladimir Klitschko training camp but the bad blood soon resurfaced and with the pair racking up impressive knockout runs, the collision course is about to be completed.
Insults and threats have been flying ever since the bout was announced and with both men having designs on world title challenges in 2016 as well as preserving London pride, emotions will be running high on the night.
What the fighters say
What the trainers say
What other fighters say
This being heavyweight boxing, anyone getting hit on the chin is going to go. These two can punch so I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to go with Joshua to knock Whyte out in the middle rounds.
What shocks people is Joshua's speed. His speed is so unexpected and those who get in with him are never ready for it - especially when he's throwing a flurry of punches at them. I'm picking an Anthony Joshua knockout inside four rounds.
It's just hard to look past an Anthony Joshua win because of the way he's been performing. It's certainly his stiffest test so far because Whyte is very cute - especially on the inside. He'll ask Joshua a few questions but I think Joshua stops him after six rounds.
We've had some great fighters over the years like Lennox Lewis, but AJ is a true athlete and runs the 100m in about 11 seconds. I think he'll tear up anyone in his path. I'm going for a Joshua stoppage in rounds one or two.
I do think he will come and have a go but if he does, that will leave him open and in trouble, so I am going to go with Joshua inside two rounds again! I doubt AJ is going to get wound-up by what he's been saying and if he does, I wouldn't like to be Dillian Whyte.
What the experts say
I don't know what will happen because nobody's gone out there to face AJ with the same ferocity Dillian will. I think Joshua will win by stoppage after coming through early scares.
I'm going to keep it interesting and say Joshua goes to points! He wins and I'll probably be wrong but I just think there are so many things we want to see from Joshua, and Dillian Whyte could be the man to put him to the test.
This should be the first guy Joshua's taken properly serious, but don't forget he is a fighting machine and if he gets that opening, it will be all over. I predict Joshua will do the job by the third, maybe even the second round.
Whyte will probably put up a bit of stubborn resistance and will do well in patches, but Joshua should get him out of there in three or four rounds - and look good doing it.
The weigh-in
Joshua: 17st 7lb
Whyte: 17st 9lb
