Dillian Whyte has hit back at Eddie Hearn’s claims he had ‘assessed’ himself from a rematch with Anthony Joshua and said he was ready to face his former nemesis on August 12.
The pair were due to face off on August 12, but Hearn claims they were unable to reach an agreement on the financial side of the deal.
However, according to Whyte, no such negotiation took place.
“They’re talking nonsense,” Whyte told The Sun in response to Hearn’s recent comments. “I did not refuse the fight.
“All I received, after Eddie spoke publicly and often about making me an offer to fight AJ, was a very short email late Friday evening June 2.
Dillian Whyte says he never rejected Anthony Joshua fight or made counter offer
Eddie Hearn claims Whyte ‘assessed’ himself from rematch with Joshua on August 12
“I absolutely want to fight AJ 100% and I called Eddie to discuss the offer but couldn’t reach him.” I also sent him a message. I haven’t heard from him so I emailed him to confirm I wanted the fight.
“I didn’t decline the offer or offer a counter offer. All I did was ask normal questions about his so-called three-line email offer.
“Even before I emailed, Eddie was already saying publicly that his offer was unacceptable. So why do it in the first place?
Later on talkSPORT, Whyte insisted he would have no qualms about locking horns with Joshua on the proposed August 12 date.
When asked if he would accept the fight, he replied, “100% of course I would, I want to fight AJ and beat him.”
Whyte then continued: ‘They want to use my name as a scapegoat to say, ‘Oh, we tried to fight Dillian Whyte but we couldn’t make it.’ If they had wanted to fight me, Eddie Hearn could have made the fight…
‘Yes of course [feel disrespected by Hearn] – why are you throwing out my name and doing a million interviews on my fight when you’re not actually negotiating the fight?
Joshua is now set to face a different opponent on the same date while Whyte is left in limbo.
Joshua stopped Whyte in the seventh round when they first met eight years ago
Hearn had promised the “Bodysnatcher” a second fight with Joshua in the spring after beating Jermaine Franklin.
Still, the Matchroom Boxing chief opted to go with the American instead.
After Joshua beat Franklin on points, Whyte’s rematch was mooted as a possible warm-up fight ahead of AJ’s blockbuster showdown with Deontay Wilder in December.
But it now looks more likely that he will box European heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel in two months.