Dillian Whyte Discusses Anthony Joshua’s ‘Strange’ Performance Against Kubrat Pulev

Dillian Whyte wasn’t exactly blown away by Anthony Joshua’s knockout win over Kubrat Pulev.

Joshua shared the ring with Pulev this past Saturday, December 12. “AJ’s” WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight Titles were on the line. Joshua emerged victorious via ninth-round knockout after Pulev failed to beat the ten-count.

During an interview with Sky Sports, former interim WBC Heavyweight Champion Whyte said he felt Joshua’s performance was a bit off.

“It was a strange performance. Don’t get me wrong, he did well. He got the job done. But strange because he was like he was trapped between two different styles. What got him the victory was going back to the old him and being aggressive. It was a good performance but he could have made easier work of it. He let Pulev hang around longer than he needed to.

“Pulev is a very tough man. I was surprised he got up – but then Joshua let him back into the fight in rounds four, five and six. He was having success at mid to close range but kept going to long range for no reason. I didn’t understand. Maybe he just wanted to show something different. With the Fury fight, maybe he wanted to show a different side to his game.”

With the win over Pulev, fight fans are hoping to see Joshua collide with WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury next. Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn and Top Rank Boxing’s Bob Arum have said that the time for negotiations is now. Hearn is hoping the bout happens at the end of May.

As for Whyte, he’s due for a rematch with Alexander Povetkin. Back in August, Whyte lost his interim gold when he was stopped by Povetkin in the fifth round. Their bout has been on hold due to a positive COVID-19 test on Povetkin’s end. The interim champion is still recovering, so the two will not be fighting in January.