Dillian Whyte will not fight on the Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni bill this weekend.
‘The Bodysnatcher’ was due to feature on his proteges’ undercard at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road on Saturday night.
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However, Queensberry chief Frank Warren has confirmed that Whyte opted to withdraw from the card after being presented with a ‘big fight’ in August.
“He’s not going to be on the card now because he has had the opportunity of a big fight in August,” Warren told BoxNation.
“We are looking at the moment to get that over the line.
“It is a big fight for him, so that is going to take priority.
“He wants that. He wants a bigger fight than he would have got at Ipswich. It is a really big fight.”
According to reports, Whyte was due to box unheralded 24-1 New Zealand heavyweight Hemi Ahio in his third fight since the collapse of his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
The Brits were set to square off in 2023, but Whyte tested positive for an undisclosed banned substance in a pre-fight drugs test, leading to the bout being called off.
A subsequent investigation by the Texas Boxing Commission in March 2024 found that Whyte had taken a contaminated substance, so the Brit was cleared to continue his career.
In the same month, he returned to action to stop Christian Hammer inside three rounds.
He then followed up that win in December by retiring Ebenezer Tetteh on his stool at the end of the seventh stanza.
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A bout with Joe Joyce was subsequently booked for April 5 in Manchester, but Whyte was forced out of the bout with a finger injury, as first reported by talkSPORT.com.
After a frustrating 2025, the offer of a big opportunity will be a welcome change of fortunes for Whyte.
His name has been thrown in the mix for Joshua’s comeback fight.
However, Matchroom Boxing mogul Eddie Hearn recently confirmed that AJ won’t box again until at least September as he continues to recover from elbow surgery.
A trilogy with Derek Chisora seems the most likely option.
After Chisora’s win over Otto Wallin earlier this year, Whyte got on the phone to ‘Del Boy’ to discuss a possible fight, and there appears to be genuine interest on both sides.
Whyte won both of their duels – the first via split decision and the second by 11th-round knockout – but they were incredibly competitive and enthralling clashes.
Chisora has promised that his next fight will be his last, and going out against Whyte makes an awful lot of sense given that both men are at very similar stages in their respective careers.
