Home Boxing News Anthony Joshua unimpressed by Dillian Whyte, but rematch could still take place...

Anthony Joshua unimpressed by Dillian Whyte, but rematch could still take place next year

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Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 24-3 (22) says he was expecting more from Dillian Whyte 29-3 (19) in his bout against Jermaine Franklin 21-1 (14) at at Wembley Arena in London, England on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old Whyte got off to a slow start and had to dig deep to eke out a majority decision win by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-115.

According to CompuBox, Franklin landed 23 more body punches than Whyte. Franklin also landed 27 more jabs than Whye, while the hometown fighter connected with six more power punches than the visitor.

Promoter Eddie Hearn had previously flagged Whyte as a future opponent for Joshua is he got past Franklin. But Joshua, who has now lost back-to-back fights to reigning WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 20-0 (13), was less than impressed by what he saw from Whyte.

“If I was a trainer, I would expect my fighter to knock someone like Jermaine Franklin out,” said Joshua to iFL TV.

Still, Joshua expects to face Whyte next year. The fight will be easy enough to make as they share the same promoter in Hearn.

“Everything is likely to happen,” Joshua said. “Bring whoever. There are a lot of people queuing up to fight me, so it won’t be hard to find an opponent. He’s just another body.

“With the experience Dillian has got, with the power that he’s got, I’m not in there to play games. I’m going in there to try and knock someone of that calibre out.

“Let’s be honest. Jermaine Franklin wasn’t there to give Dillian any problems. That’s the time to put on a spectacular performance. ‘Bang, bang, bang, I’m back on the scene; I’m back on the top. I ain’t messing about. My passion is still there; my power is still there. My skills are still there.’

“That’s the type of fight that Dillian wanted that night, but it’s difficult. Jermaine Franklin made it tougher than what it is.”

Some fans and pundits felt that Franklin deserved the nod in the Whyte fight, but Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn believes the fight was a draw at worst.

“I thought Dillian won the championship rounds to win the fight by a round, maybe two rounds,” Hearn told iFL TV.

“I can see a draw, and when it is 115-113 I can see it the other way as well. So I don’t blame people for thinking Franklin might’ve nicked the fight because it was a very close fight.

“It’s not a robbery at all. It was a very close fight. I feel it was 115-113 to Whyte. I can see a draw. Can I see 115-113 to Franklin? Not really, but maybe… Anyone who says that’s a robbery is thick as shit in all honesty.”

It was Whyte’s first fight since losing by sixth-round knockout to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 32-0-1 (23) in April.