By Jake Donovan
Dillian Whyte will now face Brian Minto on the September 12 show at O2 Arena in London, England.
The bout is paired up with unbeaten 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Anthony Joshua's headlining act versus Gary Cornish. The show is designed to build momentum towards an eventual head on collision between Joshua and Whyte on December 12 in the very same venue.
With that in mind, promoter Eddie Hearn was presented with the task of finding an immediate replacement for original scheduled opponent Dominick Guinn, who withdrew from the show on Friday after claiming to be ill. The move follows week-long rumors that Guinn didn't intend to go through with the fight, although a doctor's note was provided to promoter Eddie Hearn in confirming his ailment.
Minto (41-9, 26KOs) was revealed as the replacement opponent according to Sky Sports, who will televise the show. The American heavyweight gatekeeper answered the call to accept the fight on a moment's notice, fighting for the ninth time outside of the United States.
The bout comes after five straight appearances in New Zealand, including three fights one division below all coming on the same night during the Super 8 Cruiserweight tournament held this past March.
He will now climb back up the scales in efforts to spoil a planned collision that will help redefine the current British heavyweight landscape.
Whyte (15-0, 12KOs) has been angling for a showdown with Joshua for most of the year, but has accepted stay busy fights while waiting on those plans to materialize. The free-swinging heavyweight—Jamaica-born but British-raised since relocating to England at age 12—returns on the heels of a 1st round knockout of Irineu Beato Costa Junior earlier this month.
The bout was his sixth since returning to the ring last November following a two-year suspension. Whyte tested positive for Methylhexaneamine (MHA) following a Nov. '12 knockout win over Sandor Balogh, with a subsequent appeal—while met with sympathy over his unknowingly ingesting the supplement through purchasing a Jack3d energy drink—ultimately falling on deaf ears.
All six wins amidst his comeback have come by knockout, with Whyte having posted 11 consecutive stoppages dating back to March '12.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (2)