Dillian Whyte explains Andy Ruiz Jr offer on talkSPORT, insists he is no ‘coward’

Dillian Whyte has challenged Andy Ruiz Jr to fight him as he insists none of his heavyweight rivals hold any fear for him.

Ruiz shot to stardom when he claimed the IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight belts with a sensational victory over Anthony Joshua in last June.

Whyte claims his camp have done all they can to get a fight arranged with Ruiz

However, Joshua reclaimed his titles with a convincing victory on points in their rematch last December.

Whyte, who continues to eye a world title shot of his own, had been in talks to fight Ruiz this year but couldn’t agree a deal and instead opted to face Alexander Povetkin, before the coronavirus pandemic put a hold on boxing.

Whyte and Ruiz engaged in a social media spat this week over their failure to organise a bout, with both suggesting the other guy was ducking the challenge.

It prompted Whyte to post a screenshot of an email showing promoter Eddie Hearn’s $4million offer to the Mexican-American.

Hearn text Whyte, showing him the offer that was made to Ruiz Jr’s rep Tom Brown of TGB promotion

And, speaking to talkSPORT on Wednesday, Whyte accused his rival of dodging him.

The Brit said: “Eddie tried to make the fight, I think he offered him $4million and said ‘here’s $4m, if it’s not enough we’ll make it $5m and we have a fight’.

“The budget was $5m from what I can see. You don’t open a negotiation at the top of the bar, you open it with wiggle room. This is the business.

“Ruiz said ‘ah well, I was a little bit overweight last time, I need time to get the weight off and I said ‘yo, I was something like eight kilos overweight in my last fight, I’m not in any better place than you’.

“He had a bad performance against Joshua, you’re getting similar money to fight Joshua the first time, you say I’m a nobody and that I’m easy work, come and get the easy work!

“All these guys say things about me but one thing they can never say is that I’m a coward or easy work. They can’t say that.”

Whyte has just one loss on his professional record – to fellow Brit Joshua.

But the 32-year-old, the mandatory challenger for Tyson Fury’s WBC belt, insists he is a different fighter now and ready to topple all who stand in his way.

Whyte rocked Joshua for the first time in his career when they fought in December 2015 but was ultimately beaten

GETTY

He said: “He’s a very good athlete, he’s fight, in shape and in better condition than most guys and outlasts them and outworks them.

“I had seven amateur fights, he had 50.

“I’ve had 27 professional fights now. I’m getting better and better and I believe I can beat him.”

Source link