Dillian Whyte says Deontay Wilder no longer deserves his reputation as a 'devastating puncher' and will regret his 'ridiculous' decision to enforce a third fight with Tyson Fury.
The American's WBC title reign was ended by a stoppage loss to Fury in their Las Vegas rematch last month, but Wilder has still activated a clause in his contract to face Fury again, although the coronavirus has delayed a planned fight this summer.
Whyte, who has been made to wait up until February 2021 for his WBC mandatory title shot, believes Wilder is only condemning himself to another humbling loss at the hands of Fury, having claimed a hotly disputed draw in their original meeting in December 2018.
"Yes, it's ridiculous, considering he lost the first fight," Whyte told Sky Sports. "I think Tyson Fury is better than him in every department.
"What's he going to change now that he hasn't changed in the past 12-15 years? Nothing, he's going to change nothing."
Wilder's explosive sequence of knockout wins came to a sudden halt against Fury, who withstood his renowned right hand in the early stages of their return fight, and Whyte questioned whether the limitations of 'The Bronze Bomber' had been exposed.
"He can't throw a jab, he can't box," said Whyte. "His balance is terrible, his neck is too weak and he doesn't hit as hard as everyone says.
"For him, it's more timing and speed, that allowed him to knock out the guys he did. It's not like he's such a devastating puncher. You look at his record, he hasn't really knocked out anyone of note really."
"Now you know why the coward ran away from me for so long. I was his No 1 challenger since 2017, yet he never wanted to fight me and ducked and swerved my rightful shot for 900 days, pathetically hiding behind the WBC and begging them to allow him to fight anyone but me. I would have destroyed him and he knows it."
Charles Martin, another former world champion from America, has announced that he could target the winner of Whyte's next fight against Alexander Povetkin in Manchester on May 2, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Whyte dismissed this verbal challenge and warned the former IBF title holder that he would receive another crushing loss following his second-round knockout by Anthony Joshua at The O2 in 2016.
"These American heavyweights, they are famous for talking sh*t, but listen, he really needs to be careful about what he wishes for," said Whyte.
"It might come true. He might come to London and get cleaned out again, like last time he was here. But if he wants it, he can have it!"