MIKE TYSON has revealed his prediction for Anthony Joshua's must-win rematch with Dillian Whyte.
AJ will continue his career rebuild with a tasty domestic dust-up with his long-time rival at The O2 a week on Saturday.
Joshua, 33, avenged his amateur defeat to the Brixton Body Snatcher with a brutal seventh-round knockout at the North Greenwich dome seven years ago.
And former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson is tipping the Watford warrior to get the job done again in brutal fashion.
Iron Mike told Pro Boxing Fans: "I pick Anthony."
Joshua snapped a two-fight skid to former pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk in April with a scrappy points win over Jermaine Franklin.
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And the former two-time unified heavyweight champion received words of encouragement from Tyson in the weeks before his return to the win column.
In an interview with iD Boxing, Tyson said of Joshua: "He has a lot of talent, and shouldn’t get discouraged.
"He only loses when he quits. When you quit, all the doors of opportunities close.”
“Don’t get discouraged when you lose. You just made 30 million dollars! Don’t internalise it.
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“The more you lay off, the worse you get. To be the best, you have to fight constantly and do it more and more.”
An emphatic win over Whyte will see Joshua set up a long-overdue grudge match with former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
The duo were seemingly on course for a December dust-up in Saudi Arabia, although promoter Eddie Hearn reckons January is the earliest the fight will take place.
The Matchroom Boxing chief said: "I think it will be January [Joshua vs Wilder].
"I'm not sure whether [Tyson] Fury vs Usyk gets made [on the same card].
"I don't expect the [Francis] Ngannou fight will be so taxing that he can't fight in January.
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"But at the same time, he would have done a training camp.
"And also you don't know if he wants the fight, which lots of people suggest he doesn't.
"The finalisation of the Wilder fight is on hold until they [the Saudis] see what happen on August 12.
"And that's the risk that we're in. It's a big risk [facing Whyte], is it the right risk? We'll find out."
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"AJ wanted a real fight, he wasn't motivated to take a lesser, smaller fight.
"But the Wilder fight will be dependent on victory at the O2 Arena on August 12."
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