BY TIM PARSONS
As the countdown to the big domestic dust down draws near, speculation about the outcome has polarized the boxing fraternity with many new names and faces tipping unbeaten Dillian White to beat Anthony Joshua. Joshua remains the bookies favorite to continue to his journey to heavyweight glory, and the overwhelming majority of casual boxing fans also expect the 2012 Olympic champion to emerge victorious when the pair finally trade punches at the 02 arena this weekend. However, there is a growing minority who believe Joshua is a hype machine in comparison to Whyte, and will fallshort in this weekend’s highly anticipated bout.
Joshua at 6ft 6 inches, and built like a brick, has stopped all 14 opponents he has faced so far, and goes for the British title as he campaigns for eventual sporting glory estimated by his promoter, Eddie Hearn to be about 12 months away. In the meantime, he has to overcome hungry and determined fighter, Dilllian Whyte en route to his huge aspirations. Whyte has beaten all 16 opponents he has faced so far, with 13 of those victories coming inside the distance.
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And several bets about the outcome have been taking place among friends in London, Southend On Sea,and Manchester, eye of media have learnt. This fight is captivating the imagination of the public and it will be interesting to see what happens come Saturday night. Reports gathered from members of our team over the last 3 weeks indicate that the interest and competing views about the fight has moved many to dip their hands in their pockets to place bets on the outcome, separate from bets taking place in the bookies.
MMA fighter, londoner, Walter Gahadza, who has trained with Dillan told eye of media ” Dillian is not called body snatcher for nothing. He really is a body snatcher. He hits super hard, has guts, and is a real fighter. He has better moves than Joshua and will bring a lot of heat to him. I have trained with Whyte a number of times and can tell you he is the real deal. I really can’t see Joshua winning even though the media and the bookies have him as their winner. Dillian has more variety than Joshua and hits harder. I have bet 120 pounds in total for Whyte to win and I know I’ll win my bets. Whyte trains really hard and is a solid fighter with natural heart. Joshua has too much bulk and muscles and this will cost him if the fight gets to the later rounds. A few of my mates have also put bets on Whyte, though I have some who are betting for Joshua”.
Others who have tipped Whye for victory include new heavyweight world champion, Tyson Fury, and WBC heavyweight champion, Deontey Wilder. The probability of the fight going Dillian’s way seems a lot higher than the general public believe. In Southend and Manchester
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DISLIKE
Whyte has been very vocal about his dislike for Joshua, telling Sky sports in Joshua’s presence at one point that ”I just don’t like the fella”. I have spent time with this guy, I have even lent him my pair of trousers for clubbing before. He acts differently when in front of the camera”. Dillian questions the credibility of Joshua’s pedigree and has questioned the legitimacy of his Olympic gold medal, saying he does not believe he really won the fights that gave him the medal. ” Your heart will fail you” Whyte told Joshua on Sky sports as he exuded enormous confidence about his chances in this clash for bragging rights in the heavyweight division.
Whyte has a solid punch that often cripples his opponents and strongly believes he will repeat his 2009 amateur win against Joshua on Saturday night. ”When I watch tapes of Joshua and Whyte, I really don’t see why people think Joshua will win. He has a good straight right hand and a solid punch, but his power doesn’t match that of Whyte’s, believe me, neither does his movement. Whyte is a hard core fighter and he will show this on Saturday night- I think he will spoil the show for a lot of people, but this will make him the man”.
Whyte has gone as far as calling Joshua a scum bag, and calling Britain’s boxing darling ”a drug dealer from Watford”, words sure to enrage the unbeaten Olympic champion.
This action packed night of boxing also features top British stars including Luke Campbell, Tony Bellew, Chris Eubank Jr, Dereck Chisora and Kevin Mitchell on the under card.
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