Eddie Hearn has revealed Deontay Wilder personally messaged Dillian Whyte to tell him he would never accept a fight with him – with the American now ready to fight the Londoner.
After suffering a stunning defeat to Alexander Povetkin last August, Whyte secured his revenge with an excellent display in Gilbaltar on Saturday night, knocking out the Russian in the fourth round to reclaim the interim WBC heavyweight title.
With Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury on collison course for an all-British unification showdown this summer, Whyte may have to wait for his title shot with a meeting with Wilder one of the many tantalisng options for the Brixton heavyweight.
Speaking after the fight, Hearn revealed Wilder, who has not fought since his devastating loss to Tyson Fury in 2020, previously had no intention of squaring off with the Londoner – but is now ready to take that fight.
‘We called for the Deontay Wilder fight for a long, long time,’ Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office post-fight. ‘He actually DM’d Dillian Whyte had told him he will never ever give you that fight.
‘Now, he got knocked out [against Fury] and he’s calling for a fight with Dillian Whyte. For me, that’s a stadium fight, that’s a colossal fight.
‘But that was a lot of pressure tonight. I’d like to get him out quickly in the summer and maybe go over to the States and have a big fight as well.
‘The ultimate aim is always for Dillian Whyte to challenge for the heavyweight title. Everyone knows he is a handful for anyone in the division. Tonight was about getting his career back on track coming back from that knock out.
‘He manhandled Povetkin tonight, he battered him from pillar to post. Now, we regroup and go again. the aim remains the same for Dillian Whyte, to get a shot at the world championship.’
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