By Shaun Brown, Video by Declan Taylor
Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14 KOs) and Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs) both weighed in this afternoon ahead of their British and Commonwealth heavyweight title fight tomorrow night at London’s O2 Arena.
The two unbeaten rivals have been on something of a collision course ever since Whyte defeated the 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist in an amateur contest six years ago.
Whyte weighed in at 247lbs, two pounds lighter than his last win against Brian Minto, while Joshua topped the scales at 245lbs, four and a half quarter pounds lighter than his previous victory against Gary Cornish.
Both men were full of smiles and confidence, and after the bad blood in the build-up there were some expectations that it may carry over in to today’s weigh-in. Instead, at the face-off, Whyte turned his back on Joshua who decided to walk around him and meet him square on. After the formalities were over it was the Olympic champion who left Whyte with a few words in his ear.
“I just said you’re going to learn about levels tomorrow and left him a message,” Joshua said afterwards.
And of Whyte’s decision to turn away from him at the traditional face-off? “Interesting,” said Joshua “I’m used to a real confrontational Dillian Whyte so maybe [it's] just a game plan to throw people off what they expect but I deal with that time and time again.
“We’re both prospects," he continued. "Both got a lot to prove but I just feel I’m coming along nicely and I just want to display where I’m at tomorrow night and that’s by beating Dillian in good fashion that’s all.”
The chief supporting event for the ‘Bad Intentions’ pay-per-view bill, which is live on Sky Box Office in the UK, is a WBA world middleweight title final eliminator between Chris Eubank Jr. (20-1, 15 KOs) and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan (22-1, 15 KOs).
Ireland’s O’Sullivan comfortably made the middleweight limit of 160lbs but his English opponent came in four ounces over. (Note: Eubank Jr. has since made the weight at second time of asking.)
Junior, accompanied by his father 'English' Eubank – who decided to have a dance to the music playing just prior to the weigh-in – stood on the scales wearing a pair of black and silver gloves which may or may not have been the cause of the additional four ounces.
At their own face-off things were a little bit tastier, for want of a better word. As both came face-to-face O’Sullivan threatened to kiss Eubank Jr who had warned him in the build-up not to do so after Spike's antics in the past at a stare down with Anthony Fitzgerland. And then with a mad Irish smile O’Sullivan leapt in and kissed his opponent right on the lips.
Both men were promptly separated before the fight started today rather than tomorrow.
Shaun Brown is Boxing Scene’s UK News Editor. Follow him on Twitter @sbrown2pt0 or contact him at sbrownboxing@gmail.com