Anthony Joshua blasts talkSPORT for 'attacking his name' and favouring Tyson Fury as he prepares to face Dillian Whyte

The former two-time heavyweight champion also insists he won't “waste his time” with the Gypsy King or Deontay Wilder having seen discussions continually break down in the past.

Joshua will now face off against Whyte again, having defeated his rival in a British and Commonwealth title clash in December 2015 that avenged a defeat when they had met as amateurs.

The 33-year-old is continuing to build up his record again, having beaten Jermaine Franklin on points in April after suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, the unified champion who is set to face Britain’s Daniel Dubois in Poland next month.

Joshua v Whyte: Big Fight details

• Date and venue: August 12 at The O2 in London
• Main event ringwalks (approx): 2200 BST (undercard begins at 1900 BST)
• TV Channel: DAZN around the world and DAZN PPV in the UK and Ireland.
• Tickets: £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300, £400 and £800 (VIP). Available to O2 and Virgin Media customers via Priority from 10.00am on Friday July 7. Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets from 10.00am on Saturday July 8, General Sale from 9.00am on Monday July 10.

Sky Bet odds: Joshua 1/6, Whyte 4/1

He told talkSPORT's Spencer Oliver: "Let me ask you a question, when everyone's favourite at talkSPORT [Fury] fought Otto Wallin over 12 rounds and bust his eye open no one complained.

"Anthony Joshua goes 12 rounds with Jermaine Franklin and it's like, 'arrgghhhh, what's happened to the heavyweight division?' Why is that? What is the problem with me going 12 rounds?

"It just makes me curious, hence why I asked the question, why do you think it is? Where one does it versus another but you can clearly see that there's two different comparisons. It makes me wonder why, but anyway, moving on!"

"I wonder, he went 12 rounds and got a busted eye. Whatever people rated Otto Wallin and whatever people rate Jermaine Franklin is their opinion but let's put them in comparison," Joshua continued.

"He was coming back after a lay-off, I was coming back after a short lay-off after a loss. I went 12 rounds, he went 12 rounds. Why is it that I've got to relight my fire?"

"There is a let's call it an attack on my name, especially on this talkSPORT radio station. There is definitely an attack on my name. But it's fine. It's fine, in this industry you have to have a thick skin. It's good to talk about it and that's just one of many examples I could talk about on how there's parallel comparisons but one gets dug out a lot more."

Earlier, Joshua told a press conference to preview the sold out fight at the O2 Arena: “I’m definitely up for fighting. There are a lot of names in the division but at the same time look at what this (fight) creates, I’m a fighter but I understand the business as well.

“Wilder and them lot have been doing my head in for years, you’ve seen now the shenanigans in the heavyweight division – even with Fury, saying he was training for Usyk, you can see all the lies going on so I don’t waste my time with time wasters.

“I just want to fight, get on with it. I’m going to be 34 this year, let’s crack on while I’m here, I’m not going to waste my time waiting for people and chasing for people.

“Even from the amateurs you could see the trajectory I was on; ready to get down, ready to put my neck on the line and fight whoever and it is still like that.”

If Joshua comes through his rematch with Whyte, which will be shown live by broadcaster DAZN, he is then expected to go on to meet Wilder in another lucrative heavyweight showdown.

“This is a massive night for my career,” added Joshua.

“Dillian is a credible and solid opponent, I have an underlying respect for every man I get in the ring with. I could fight now, it is in my heart. I just want to fight.”

For Whyte, 35, it is a chance to level up with Joshua in the professional ring after beating the Olympic gold medallist in the amateurs.

He suggested such victories could be all that are left for him as he enters the twilight of his career, having already avenged a shock knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin in 2020.

“I have had three losses, avenged one, if I get the other two (Joshua and Fury) I don’t care about boxing after that,” he said.

“We have both had three losses but we both have a lot of hunger so I can’t wait to get in there – I am hoping for the best version of him, I don’t worry about what people say. I am coming to fight and have nothing to lose.”

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