Whyte, 37, will be a colossal underdog against the well-rated Moses Itauma in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Meanwhile, negotiations regarding an unlikely bout between two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul have been in full flow in recent weeks.
“It’s a business, man. If [Joshua v Paul] makes sense and does numbers, why not?” Whyte said to BBC Sport. [Joshua] has won the championship twice, fought a lot and achieved a lot, so I don’t know.
“I’m sure he’ll earn more money than he earned in some of his title fights, so sometimes if you can earn some money, then earn some money. Whyte lost to Joshua in 2015 for the British title in a classic rivalry bout.
A 2023 rematch was cancelled after Whyte tested positive for a drug. He maintained he was innocent, was cleared of any charge and resumed competition in March 2024.
Whyte, who has won 31 of his 34 pro fights, was beaten in a world-title bid by Tyson Fury in 2022 and has been struggling to find momentum in the past few years. The Body Snatcher beat Ebenezer Tetteh in December, but was nowhere near his best.
But the Briton remains focused on heavyweight greatness. He rates undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk as the “best of the era” but believes he is prepared for another attempt at a world title.
“I don’t think I did myself justice last time. I went into the fight, we worked hard, but a few things were not right. Mentally, it was not right,” he said.
It was “partly” the motivation behind him agreeing to face formidable southpaw Itauma. The 20-year-old Chatham-based heavyweight is among boxing’s brightest prospects and has kayoed 10 of his 12 professional opponents. Nobody wants to fight [Itauma]. I like fighting, I like competing, I love a test. I enjoy doing things that people tell me I can’t do, that it’s impossible,” Whyte said.
