By Elliot Foster
Dillian Whyte could well be in line for a world title shot later this year.
The Brixton heavyweight, who is a former British champion and whose sole loss in the paid code came against fierce rival and now-IBF, WBA Super and IBO world champion Anthony Joshua back in December 2015, returns to the ring next month.
But Whyte, 29, has revealed that he could fight for global honours sooner rather than later.
He makes his ring return, after his December showdown with Dereck Chisora, on June 3, exclusively live on Sky Sports, at the O2 Arena in London when he faces Mariusz Wach in a crunch clash in the sport’s premier division.
And while working in the studio on the Joseph Parker vs. Razvan Cojanu WBO heavyweight world title fight, the Jamaican-born 20-1 (15 KOs) man told Sky Sports: “[My promoter] Eddie Hearn has told me that I should be fighting Parker for the world title in September at the O2 Arena [in London], providing I win my next fight.”
New Zealand’s Parker, 25, retained his belt at the Vodafone Events Centre in Auckland on Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK, with a points victory over his former sparring partner, with all three judges scoring in favour of the home fighter by margins of 119-108, 117-110 and 117-110.
Whyte also expressed an interest in fighting feared Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz, who was last in action against David Allen on the same card as ‘The Body Snatcher’s’ victory over the aforementioned Chisora.
IN OTHER NEWS: Josh Kelly will return to the ring next Saturday.
The Sunderland puncher had been set to box for a second time in the paid code at Wembley Stadium on April 29.
But unforeseen circumstances meant that the 23-year-old middleweight was forced off the Sky Sports Box Office-aired bill topped by Anthony Joshua world heavyweight title unification showdown victory against veteran Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko.
Kelly, despite the disappointment of not fighting in front of 90,000 people at the home of the England national team, is set to make his comeback on May 13, as part of the undercard to Kal Yafai’s WBA super-flyweight world title defence against Suguru Muranaka at the Barclaycard Arena.
The card, billed ‘The Homecoming’, will represent Yafai’s fourth appearance in his home city and sees action for a plethora of local talent.
Sam Eggington, the WBC International welterweight champion, challenges Ceferino Rodriguez for the division’s European crown, Ryan Kelly and Adam Harper clash in a battle for the vacant Midlands Area super-welterweight title and Sean Davis defends his WBC International title in the super-bantamweight division against former Commonwealth king Gamal Yafai.
Frankie Gavin is on the bill and is expected to face Renald Garrido over 10 rounds, Lennox Clarke, Cori Gibbs and Jordan Clayton all feature, while Charlie Williams, Aaron Lovell and Kieran Conway complete the card.