ONE of the forgotten men of heavyweight boxing returns to the ring on Sunday in Gibraltar, looking to jump-start a final run at the big time. Dillian Whyte established himself as a key player from 2015 to 2020 but has fallen off the radar recently, due to losses and a positive PED test, which he contends was later rectified.
It was enough to stop a money-spinning third clash with Anthony Joshua, however, as ‘the Bodysnatcher’ disappeared into the wilderness searching for meaningful opportunities. Whyte’s last notable outing was a competitive battle with contender Jermaine Franklin Jr in November 2022. Since then, he has turned up in Castlebar, Ireland, where he made faded punchbag Christian Hammer retire after three rounds.
Now, he graces the Europa Point Sports Complex, facing Ghana’s Ebenezer Tetteh. Whyte has previously fought in this same venue and holds fond memories. In 2021, he knocked out Alexander Povetkin in round four of their rematch for the WBC Interim title. Povetkin had upset Whyte in the first fight, unleashing an uppercut from the gods to prevail.
Next stop is Tetteh, who arrives with only one defeat on his slate. That came in 2019 at the dynamite fists of Daniel Dubois. In his last fight, Tetteh engaged in a bizarre bout where his opponent injured himself from missing a punch. Prior to that Togo outing, Tetteh knocked out 45-year-old Stephen ‘Warrior’ Abbey in a round.
Therefore, he is unlikely to provide the kind of stiff opposition Dillian Whyte needs if the Brixton boxer is to enhance his credibility on the way back to the top table. Dillian has been going back and forth with Derek Chisora, who launched a top table at him during one of their press conferences. Whyte would love a trilogy with ‘Del Boy’, who has his own Last Dance to worry about early next year.
