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Dillian Whyte injury ahead of Joe Joyce fight takes away chance to return to the big time
The start of April was supposed to be a new dawn for Dillian Whyte.
On April 5, the ‘Bodysnatcher’ was scheduled to face Joe Joyce atop the bill at Queensberry’s first blockbuster show as part of a new deal with DAZN.
The battle, between two of the British scene's most storied heavyweights, would have seen plenty at stake for both of their futures at the top table, certainly domestically.
But now, Whyte will no longer have the chance of proving his mettle once again at this particular juncture, after a finger injury robbed his opportunity and ruled him out of the clash.
It is expected that Joyce will still fight on the card at Manchester’s Co-op Live, but for his would-be opponent, this is another setback in a career which is slowly coming to an end.
At 36, Whyte has been a constant presence in the heavyweight division since his breakout moment against rival Anthony Joshua a decade ago at London's The O2 Arena.
He may lost on the night, but it was one to remember. From brawls to brutal punishment, he showed that he could mix it with the best despite coming up short against the newly elected face of British boxing.
Since then, he has added established names to his resume, beating the likes of Dave Allen, Derek Chisora - twice - and Joseph Parker as he rose through the ranks.
A shock knockout loss to Alexander Povetkin in August 2020 was a brief banana skin before getting revenge seven months later, as he hurtled towards a world title shot.
That finally came in April 2022 when he faced WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury at a sold-out Wembley Stadium - and there, on the biggest night of his life, Whyte choked.
In an anticlimactic encounter, he offered very little in the contest, was duly knocked out six rounds in and has since struggled for relevance in a crowded heavyweight division.
An underwhelming majority decision win over Jermaine Franklin eight months later and a failed drugs test ahead of a second bout with Joshua in 2023 saw Whyte further fade into obscurity.
Last year, the Brixton man returned for two wins over Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh. The latter, I watched for DAZN News and it is safe to say that I was not impressed.
Putting Tetteh on unsteady legs multiple times, Whyte lacked the killer instinct to finish matters definitively and let the contest drag on to reach an unnecessary seventh round.
Sometimes, these performances are needed to shake off the ring rust and a clash with Joyce would have been a strong acid test to see whether he was still a credible contender.
Now, Whyte must wait once more, and with the curtain slowly coming down, there is not much time left for him to still challenge the best and aim for the top prizes at heavyweight.
The British division is fast becoming one which could dominate boxing for the foreseeable future, already headed up by Daniel Dubois and his credentials as IBF title holder.
Moses Itauma, Fabio Wardley and Delicious Orie are all being touted for big things, and if they make waves in the sport, the older heavyweights are at risk at being left behind.
Whyte is one who could find himself out in the cold. Unlike many of his peers too, he is yet to find his way to Saudi Arabia's capital and the new home of heavyweight boxing.
If he is to get the attention of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, then a rearranged fight with Joyce is needed to prove he can play a part in their plans.
However, as Whyte edges towards 40, his body is more likely to break down due to the punishing nature of the sport's top division. This latest injury could be a sign of that.
‘Big time’ heavyweight boxing is the healthiest it has been for generations, and while it may not need him, it is something that Whyte needs.
But he will need to act fast. Any more time on the sidelines, and the 'Bodysnatcher' could risk vanishing off the face of the boxing world.
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