Anthony Joshua removes stumbling block in Dillian Whyte negotiations

“Dillian Whyte replied and said, ‘I’m not gonna do any promotion around the event, I don’t want a rematch clause,’ so we’ve just gone back now and given him no rematch clause, 12 August, done. The worry I have is: I sent that email, and 10 minutes later, Sky Sports are running a story… It’s like, do you want this fight, or is this some kind of mission to land another fight?

“The great news now is: They have the contract, no rematch clause, 12 August – absolutely nothing in the contract of any regard that’s gonna cause anyone any problems. Let’s see. I don’t think they’re gonna sign it; I hope they do. AJ wants this fight bad, it’s the fight that he wants.

Joshua (left) knocked out Whyte in 2015

“But we want to announce on Saturday. It’s Thursday now, we’ve got 48 hours. I’m not gonna put a deadline [on it], because it starts rattling people, but the deadline’s on us to announce the fight – and other opponents that we’ve got ready to go. I know Dillian loves a big fight, it’s there for him. Hopefully he signs.”

Whyte, 35, last fought in November, narrowly outpointing Jermaine Franklin to bounce back from a TKO loss to Tyson Fury last April.

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Joshua, 33, also beat Franklin on points in his most recent fight. The former two-time world champion defeated the American at London’s O2 Arena in what was a crucial win after two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

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