Former WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, does not see Dillian Whyte a rival, as both intensified preparations for August 12 rematch at the O2 Arena, London.
Whyte floored Joshua when they first met in 2009 as amateurs, with the ‘Body Snatcher’ scoring a decision.
In their first professional clash, Joshua in 2015 secured a round seven KO against Whyte in a British and Commonwealth heavyweight title fight.
AJ moved on to hold three of the four major world titles at heavyweight on two separate occasions.
“I don’t really look at Dillian as a rival, just another body really,” Joshua, 33, said on Monday afternoon when both came face-to-face at a press conference.
“They’ve got a lot of hate for me. A lot of people hate on me.”
“With Dillian, I don’t really look at him as a rival. I just watch myself.”
However, Joshua says he respects Whyte, 35, as a professional.
“Dillian is a very credible, solid opponent,” he added.
“Aside from what everyone calls a ‘rivalry’, I have to have an underlying respect for every man that steps into the ring. And I have that, which is also going to make me raise my game.”
Meanwhile, the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist had no time for Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder at Monday’s press conference.
It’s known that if AJ emerges victorious against Whyte, he is ‘locked in’ for a showdown with Wilder in Saudi Arabia in December or January.
Leading the press conference, promoter Eddie Hearn asked Joshua: “What made you take this fight with this risk? Everybody knows about the Deontay Wilder fight and the negotiations.”
But Joshua interrupted: “Forget Wilder and them lot. Them lot have been doing my head in for so many years.
“You lot have seen now the shenanigans in the heavyweight division.
“Even with Fury saying he was training for Oleksandr Usyk, then SugarHill Steward (his trainer) came out and said,
‘No, I’m not training him. What do you mean I’m training him for a heavyweight championship fight?’
“You can see all the lies that’s been going on, so I don’t really waste my time with time-wasters.
“It’s only a fight. I just wanna fight and get on with it.
“I’m gonna be 34 this year, I’m moving on.
“I’m getting old now, you know what I mean? So just crack on while I’m here.
“I’m not really wasting time waiting for people, chasing people.”
Joshua later added in an interview with DAZN: “The divisions messed up. Not through anyone’s fault.