Dillian Whyte vs. Dominick Guinn Set, 9/12 At O2 Arena

By Jake Donovan

Dillian Whyte's bid for a showdown with fellow unbeaten U.K.-based heavyweight Anthony Joshua will be preceded by his first title fight. 

The undefeated heavyweight prospect will get an up-close-and-personal look at his rival's upcoming clash with Gary Cornish, as he faces veteran American boxer Dominick Guinn on the same September 12 show at O2 Arena in London. 

Sky Sports will televise both bouts, which comes with additional incentive: wins by Joshua and Whyte will lead to a December 12 showdown at the very same venue. 

Whyte (15-0, 12KOs) has been angling for such a clash for most of the year, but has accepted stay busy fights while waiting on those plans to materialize. The free-swinging heavyweight—Jamaica-born but British-raised since relocating to England at age 12—returns on the heels of a 1st round knockout of Irineu Beato Costa Junior earlier this month. 

The bout was his sixth since returning to the ring last November following a two-year suspension. Whyte tested positive for Methylhexaneamine (MHA) following a Nov. '12 knockout win over Sandor Balogh, with a subsequent appeal—while met with sympathy over his unknowingly ingesting the supplement through purchasing a

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energy drink—ultimately falling on deaf ears.

All six wins amidst his comeback have come by knockout, with Whyte having posted 11 consecutive stoppages dating back to March '12. 

Once upon a time a rising contender, the 40-year old Guinn (35-10-1, 24KOs) now spends his days as a well-known opponent for rising and returning heavyweights. The Arkansas native—who trains out of Houston, Texas—has dropped four of his past six starts, but has never been stopped through 46 pro fights spanning more than 15 years. 

A moral victory came of his spirited performance in a 10-round loss to Tomasz Adamek. Their Aug. '13 bout was far more competitive than the final scores suggested, but ultimately resulting in another decision loss. His lone piece of ring action since then came earlier this year, scoring a 1st round knockout over hapless Donnie Davis in February. 

TICKET INFO

Tickets are on general sale priced at £40 and £60 and are available from The O2 at www.theO2.co.uk and on 0844 856 0202. All other prices have now sold out.

Tickets for September 12 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.