By: Hans Themistode
Dillian Whyte grew acrimonious over his long-overdue title shot. The British star successfully reshaped his image and career following his 2015 stoppage defeat at the hands of Anthony Joshua.
With 12 victories in his next 13 bouts, Whyte was given his first crack at the heavyweight throne. However, despite putting his body through a grueling 12-week training camp, Whyte’s title dreams were immediately pushed by the wayside this past weekend.
Known as arguably one of the greatest heavyweights in boxing history, Tyson Fury pummeled Whyte in front of a sold-out crowd of 94,000 in Wembley Stadium. Although Whyte pocketed nearly $8 million for his troubles, he’ll desperately and quickly plot his comeback trail. It wasn’t the night he envisioned but Whyte still has plenty of options for his ring return, we’ll discuss his best options.
Joseph Parker
Dillian Whyte has stockpiled his resume with several notable wins but as it stands, his 2018 victory against Joseph Parker is his most impressive. Whyte was in pristine form, dropping the former world champion in both the second and ninth rounds before ultimately hitting the deck himself in the 12th.
Parker has been a man on a mission since then, racking up six consecutive victories. While he appears to be on the edge of a world title shot, Parker has expressed an interest in facing Whyte once more, something Whyte hasn’t exactly entertained. Now, however, would be a great time for Whyte to revisit that conversation.
Murat Gassiev
Remember Murat Gassiev? Maybe you don’t.
At one point, Gassiev was considered the best cruiserweight in the world. That notion, nonetheless, was disproven as he was easily outpointed by Oleksandr Usyk during their cruiserweight unification bout in 2018.
Shortly after, Gassiev would forgo his time as a cruiserweight champion and try his hand at heavyweight. But, unfortunately for Gassiev, injuries have plagued his career. With only two bouts under his belt since his 2018 defeat at the hands of Usyk, Gassiev should be looking for the biggest fights possible. And while he hasn’t done much in his newfound division, Gassiev should be a fighter Whyte has an eye on.
Andy Ruiz Jr.
A matchup against Andy Ruiz Jr. is one that Dillian Whyte has been craving. But, regardless of his attempts to lure the former unified champion into the ring, Whyte’s efforts were meaningless.
If Whyte still has dreams of wrapping his waist with gold, a victory over Ruiz Jr. would appear to be his best path. If he chooses to re-engage with team Ruiz on a possible showdown, he’ll have to first wait and see how he performs against Luis Ortiz. The two are scheduled to face off this Summer. Win or lose, Ruiz Jr. should be Whyte’s primary target.