Ahead of his hopeful return to a heavyweight title setting later this month, Dillian Whyte seems to be pulling out all the stops in his bid to win one final world championship.
Returning to action in the Middle East later this month, Whyte will take on the number one-ranked WBO challenger, Moses Itauma, with the victor hoping to potentially earn a showdown with interim champion Joseph Parker at the very least.
And seemingly up against the ropes already ahead of his fight with the 12-0 undefeated Itauma, Whyte is putting in all the preparation to stop the rising heavyweight star.
Dillian Whyte training with top-level cruiserweight talent for return clash
Tasked with bringing a halt to the impressive surge of Itauma later this month in their potential title-eliminator, Whyte has spent rounds in the gym with an uber-talent in the form of ex-regional champion, Mike Perez.
Heralded for his going in the ring, the Cuban-Irish striker is regarded as one of the best fighters to miss out on world championship spoils, dropping his sole chance against Mairis Briedis in their WBC title clash back in 2017.
And dialing up camp for his potential decider with Itauma, Whyte shared an insight into his tougher sparring sessions with the likes of ‘The Rebel’ ahead of his return.
“My days are hard,” Whyte told DAZN Boxing. “Now we’re in the sparring stages. Just avoiding getting punched up by these big guys in camp.
“Mike (Perez) is with me, Junior is with me ever yday,” Whyte continued. “We’re training every day together. I’ve got Victor Fallson, who’s a big, strong hungry guy — southpaw.
“Mike Perez just arrived for the last few weeks to finish up sparring — sharpen me up a little bit,” Whyte explained. … I keep a very small team.”
Dillian Whyte relishing underdog status ahead of Moses Itauma clash
Under the kosh already, it seems, Whyte has no qualms about his status as the significant underdog against the up-and-coming Itauma.
And as far as comparisons to the iconic Mike Tyson are concerned, Whyte warned the Slovakian-born contender that he can still hang with the elites of the sport to this very day.
“I’ve been an alpha male in the pack,” Whyte said. “I’ve been around the pack a long time, I understand the pack mentality.
“And, you know, maybe I’m an old wolf, but my teeth are still sharp. …I carry power in both hands — I’m sure he does the same, so let’s see.”