-
Follow Us
On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Dillian Whyte called opponent Christian Hammer a “coward” after the British heavyweight secured a third-round stoppage victory on Sunday in his first fight since November 2022.
Whyte (30-3-0 20 KO) made his return to the ring in Ireland having been cleared to fight after the suspension was lifted from his positive drug test ahead of his bout with Anthony Joshua last August.
Hammer – a career journeyman who has shared the ring with the likes of Tyson Fury, Alexander Povetkin, and Joe Joyce – was expected to put up more of a fight but offered little. After Whyte dominated with shots to the body and head for the first three rounds, Hammer’s corner withdrew him from the fight as the Romanian-born German quit on his stool.
“He was negative all the way through. As soon as I hit him he was negative. I told him afterwards he was a coward and I mean that,” Whyte, 35, said.
“I’m so frustrated. I’ve put so much work into preparing for this fight and to have him quit after just three rounds is so frustrating. I told him afterwards in the ring that I always respected him but tonight he was a coward.”
Whyte ‘Been Through Hell’
While Whyte may be frustrated, it was at least a comfortable winning return to the ring after a period of inactivity. ‘The Body Snatcher’ had been scheduled to face long-time rival Joshua in a rematch last August but weeks before the fight, he tested positive for a banned substance.
Whyte protested his innocence and after a lengthy investigation, he was able to prove that the failed test was a result of a contaminated supplement. It was the third time in his boxing career that the Briton had failed a doping test; the second time, in 2019, Whyte was also cleared.
“Not a lot of people can go through what I’ve been through and come back again,” Whyte told Fight Connect TV.
With so much time lost to his provisional suspension, Whyte said he wants to be as active as possible. The heavyweight division is thriving at present as the biggest fights continue to get made thanks to the financial and organizational involvement of Saudi Arabia.
‘I Would Love One More Crack At A World Title’
“I just want to fight again in about six to eight weeks time. I need to fight,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of hell, a lot of darkness and pent up frustration and aggression.
“Wherever I can be busy, then I’ll go there and fight. I’m running out of time. I’m not getting any younger. I don’t know what’s next, I just want to fight. Let’s see what happens.”
Based on Whyte’s six to eight-week timeframe, that could open the door to fighting on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in Riyadh. Every boxing event in Saudi Arabia so far has been stacked with heavyweight bouts, so that could present an opportunity for Whyte.
The British fighter has fought once for a world title, losing an April 2022 bout against WBC champion Fury, and he said in the lead-up to his fight with Hammer that it still remains his main goal.
“‘I’d love to have one more crack at a world title. That’s the goal,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “I’ve done almost everything there is to do in boxing. I’ve been on the good and the bad. I just need to win a world title and then that will be the icing on the cake.”
More must-reads:
- Winners and losers from Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft
- Juwan Howard returning to NBA as Eastern Conference assistant
- The '100 catches in an NFL season' quiz
Breaking News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
