Watch Whyte vs Povetkin on August 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Wednesday 5 August 2020 11:03, UK
Dillian Whyte branded Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as "jokers" after their friendly meeting in Marbella - and says he would give his British rivals a more hostile reception.
Unified champion Joshua and WBC belt holder Fury crossed paths while they were both on a trip to Spain and briefly discussed their intentions to meet in an undisputed world heavyweight title fight next summer.
But Whyte stands in the way of Joshua-Fury plans, with the Brixton man set to receive a WBC mandatory title shot in early 2021, and he has mocked the duo's casual conversation.
Whyte told Sky Sports: "That looked so staged. Those two just met at the right time and the right place, and they were just having a casual chat?
"The way they speak on social media - they want to do this to each other. It looks like it was just staged."
Whyte defends his WBC 'interim' title against Povetkin on August 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with victory keeping him firmly in contention for future fights with Joshua and Fury.
"I was just laughing. I was thinking to myself, 'look at these two jokers.'
"If I see someone and they're talking smack about me and saying they are going to do this and do that, then when I see you, have the same energy.
"I'm not going to be standing outside your car window, standing on the sidewalk speaking to you. Come on man."
Povetkin will fly into Britain on Friday, just over two weeks before the fight, and Whyte admits there could be a series of tense confrontations with the Russian as both are staying at the same Brentwood hotel due to quarantine restrictions.
"It's not ideal when you have to stay in the same place as your opponent, especially if we've got to be in there for two weeks or whatever it is," said Whyte.
"It's not ideal really, because you don't want to be around somebody you're going to be fighting, for so long.
"A day or two, or whatever. Bumping into him here and there is different from being next to someone. You're thinking, 'In a couple of days, we're going to be smashing each other to bits.'"
Watch Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin on August 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
