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Boxing News: Dillian Whyte Set To Fight On March 17; Opponent Revealed 

Published 03/10/2024, 12:53 PM EDT

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After losing his chance to fight Anthony Joshua in a rematch last year, heavyweight, Dillian Whyte is set to take to the ring on March 17th. For his comeback, he is facing an experienced fighter that could potentially give him his career’s hardest fight.

Last year, days before he was set to face his Londoner counterpart, Whyte’s VADA reports came positive for a banned substance. While he was left to prove his innocence, ‘AJ’ fought Robert Helenius. Now that his adverse findings have been attributed to the consumption of contaminated supplements, he remains free to enter the ring. Who does he do it against? Here are all the details you need to know about his upcoming about.

Dillian Whyte to Headline “Once Upon a Time in the West”

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It has been announced that the Jamaican-origin fighter will face off against Christian Hammer on the 17th of March at the TF Royal Hotel & Theatre in Castlebar, Ireland. The card titled, “Once Upon a Time in the West,” is being promoted by Michael Ofo’s Platform Sport. While no broadcaster details have been confirmed, the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) has sanctioned the upcoming fight.

This will be a crucial fight for the 29-3 record holder. He’s not fought since late 2022 when he defeated Jermaine Franklin Jr. via a majority decision. Seven months before that, he lost to the WBC titlist, Tyson Fury, through a sixth-round technical knockout. While a rematch with AJ fight would have been a testing accord for his career, the upcoming Hammer fight assumes that position.

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His German opponent, Christian Hammer (27-10), is a well-known hard hitter. However, his last in-ring confrontation did not go as per his plans as he was stopped by Joe Joyce prematurely in the 4th-round. That fight too dates back to 2022, giving both him and Whyte almost the same premise of inactivity in the ring. Whyte announced the St. Patrick’s Day entertainer on his social media.

 

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A post shared by Dillian Whyte (@dillianwhyte)

The fight comes at a time when ‘The Body Snatcher’s’ camp has been hoping for a breakthrough from the drug tests fiasco. Now, having got that, what is the feeling on his side of the court?

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Team Whyte Aims for World Championship

Recently, an expert report vindicated the heavyweight from his doping allegations. In the wake of it, the news of his next fight emerged. How prepared is he to excel in his comeback? Buddy McGirth, his trainer, told Boxing Scene, “He’s shed a lot of weight getting back on track… I still believe he can be a world champion as long as he keeps doing what we’re working on.”

For the fighter, this fight is his only way to remain prominent in the highly competitive heavyweight class. “I have only had four fights over the last four years and so I need to get active again. Look how well Joseph Parker and Anthony Joshua are doing now with decent activity,” he said in a recent interview.

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Meanwhile, who are you rooting for in the fight? Take your picks in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Mohammed Shafiulla

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Mohammed Shafiulla is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master’s degree in Journalism from a reputed institute, Shafi has cemented his position as one of the astute observers of boxing at ES. One of the early supporters of Naoya Inoue, Shafi has covered his transition from a Japanese boxer with a niche fan following to a power-punching global boxing star.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai