‘He’s not my mate’ – Anthony Joshua blasts Dillian Whyte after being slammed for dodging grudge rematch

ANTHONY JOSHUA has hit back after Dillian Whyte accused him of dodging their rematch.

Joshua is set to return on April 1 against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena.

Anthony Joshua ahead of his fight with Jermain FranklinRex

PADillian Whyte fumed at Anthony Joshua for not rematching him[/caption]

But it comes after Whyte beat Franklin in a disputed decision in November, which AJ was ringside to watch.

Promoter Eddie Hearn more than hinted that the victor would earn the right to welcome Joshua back to the ring.

So when Franklin was selected over Whyte, the former WBC world title challenger was left fuming.

But Joshua responded to iD Boxing: “He’s not my mate.

“I just think he waffles a bit; he has a lot to say. He needs to focus on his own career, focus on his own stuff.

“That’s just what I have to say about it, he has a lot to say.”

Joshua’s history with Whyte goes back to 2009 when he lost their amatuer slugfest.

But AJ gained redemption six years later by KO in their rematch and Hearn wants to line the two up for a trilogy decider in the summer.

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Whyte told SunSport: “I am all right but facing the usual b******s, I just want to make some fights but it’s f***ing frustrating.

“Everyone was told, all the boxing fans, the winner of me and Franklin fights AJ, so this is a f***ed up thing.

“I would have been better off losing the Franklin fight and getting the AJ fight!”

He continued: “I know DAZN need content for their subscribers but why choose to fight a low-profile American coming off a loss instead of having a massive British tear-up?

“It’s no surprise to me that they have chosen April 1 for this battle of the fools.

“I faced Franklin, the most dangerous and undefeated version of him, and beat him.

“Eddie was promising him many millions to fight AJ if he beat me.

“It’s protecting AJ because they all know if he loses again he will probably jack it in and a lot of people will be left with limp d***s in their hands.”

Dillian Whyte narrowly beat Jermaine FranklinMATCHROOM BOXING

Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn and Jermaine FranklinRichard Pelham / The Sun