Dillian Whyte ‘100% confident’ of knocking out Anthony Joshua

Dillian Whyte has said that he was ‘100 percent’ confident of knocking out Anthony Joshua and hopes their potential rematch can be for the undisputed heavyweight title in 2021.

Despite Joshua reclaiming his WBA, WBO and IBF titles by outclassing Andy Ruiz Jr over 12 rounds last year, Whyte claims his rival’s shock stoppage defeat by the Mexican first time out has left him convinced he’ll be successful when the pair meet again.

​“If Ruiz can knock him out, I can 100 per cent knock him out, because I’m a harder puncher than Andy Ruiz, pound-for-pound,” Whyte told Sky Sports. ”I’ve got better feet than him as well, and better boxing technique than Andy Ruiz. He’s got fast hands, but his feet are slow.

“I’ve shown also in fights that I can come back from being down on the scorecards and I carry knockout power in the later stages of the fight as well, which is a big thing for a heavyweight.

“I showed you that I can get you round one, round two, round three, round four, or even round 11 and round 12, I can get you. A lot of heavyweights can only get you in one to six rounds. If they don’t get you early, then that’s a wrap for them.​”

The pair have a long-running feud stretching back to the amateur ranks and fought for the British title in 2015, when Joshua won by a vicious knockout in the seventh round after being hurt himself.

Whyte is scheduled to fight former Joshua opponent Alexander Povetkin on 2 May in Manchester. However, the fight is likely to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Joshua’s mandatory contest against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is also under threat, with the Premier League season set to be extended.

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“I would love to fight Joshua again, at a drop of a hat,” Whyte continued. ”It’s one of the biggest fights out there. I’m in the game to have the biggest fights and the most meaningful fights. I’m trying to make history.

“Imagine, to get one shot at all the marbles at once, how unreal that would be after all this nonsense – and then out of nowhere, me and Joshua fight, I knock him out and became the undisputed champion of the world.”