This is a rivalry that goes back a long way. Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are two of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing. But they first met as amateurs in 2009, when Whyte dished out a rare defeat to Joshua, who was already used to winning.

That was one reason their professional clash in 2015 meant so much to Joshua. Sure, there were belts on the line, including the British heavyweight title. But AJ was out for revenge, and he got it when he stopped Whyte in the seventh round – his opponent’s first pro defeat.

After that they both progressed: Whyte won his next 11 fights, while Joshua picked up world titles. But after some punishing defeats, both boxers are looking to put together a run of results that will lead them back to the top – starting with their rematch at The O2 in London.

You can see this fight live on DAZN with Virgin Media on Saturday 12 August and going into the early hours of Sunday morning. Which of these longstanding rivals will triumph? Here’s what you need to know…

How did this rematch come about?

Both fighters want another shot at world titles, and to do so they’ll have to go through Deontay Wilder. Joshua has a match-up with the American pencilled in for later this year – with a reported £60 million purse up for grabs. Whyte, as you can imagine, fancies some of that and he could force himself into contention with a win at The O2.

The fight was agreed pretty late in the day, after Whyte refused to sign a contract that contained a rematch clause, and also reportedly wasn’t happy about the share of the purse he was offered. Ultimately AJ and his promoters conceded and the fight was announced on 6 July.

What’s their form like ahead of the fight?

Joshua lost his world championship belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and then lost the rematch in 2022, when his rambling post-defeat speech took most of the headlines, causing fans and pundits to wonder if his career was over. But he returned to fight Jermaine Franklin in April and after a tentative start, put on an increasingly confident display to win by unanimous decision. 

Franklin was the opponent when Whyte made his comeback after a loss to a world champ – in his case Tyson Fury, who stopped him in the sixth round. The US fighter went the distance at Wembley Arena, but Whyte triumphed by majority decision. 

So who do we think’s going to win?

If you’re a bookie, Joshua. AJ is heavily favoured among betting types – odds-on to win almost everywhere, while you can get as long odds as 9/2 against Whyte. Joshua is arguably the bigger name, has held world titles and won their last fight, so it’s to be expected.

But the added spice of their longstanding rivalry makes it a little harder to know what to expect. It’s like a local derby in football; the form book goes out of the window.

Former featherweight champ Josh Warrington is backing Whyte to upset the odds. “I feel like [Joshua will] wanna prove something. Not only to himself, but to everyone else,” he says. “To show that he has still got it, to show that he is still that aggressive animal that he can be. But that’s gonna play well into Dillian, because Dillian loves to be in the trenches in a fight… I’m gonna be favouring Dillian in this one.”

If anyone should have a good idea of which man is in better shape, it’s Jermaine Franklin. His no-nonsense prediction? “I think Joshua will beat Whyte. I don’t think it’ll be a hard fight for Joshua.”

How do they measure up?

Who’s on the undercard?

It’s rich with British talent. Heavyweights Johnny Fisher and Harry Armstrong face off, while Campbell Hatton – son of former champ Ricky – takes on Tom Ansell at super lightweight. There’s another British heavyweight favourite in action in the form of Derek Chisora, who will face American fighter Gerald Washington, and a further all-British clash when Maisey Rose Courtney takes on Gemma Ruegg. Two unbeaten heavyweights from beyond these shores will also clash when Filip Hrgovic of Croatia and Australia’s Demsey McKean meet.

When is Joshua v Whyte on TV?

You can see this fight on DAZN with Virgin Media from 7pm on Saturday 12 August  2023. It’s available to order from 10am on Tuesday 8 August and costs £29.99.

The event cannot be recorded and will be repeated on Sunday 13 August at 9am, 2pm and 7pm (last playout).

The purchase will include access to the fight and will also entitle you to redeem one month’s access to DAZN – please see details at point of purchase. Promotion is owned and operated by DAZN.

How can I order the fight?

To watch this event, you must have a TiVo^® box, Virgin TV V6 box, powered by TiVo®, a Virgin TV 360 box or Stream.

TiVo^® and V6 customers: Go to Home > On Demand > Live Events or press On Demand and go to Live Events. Press the red button then choose the event and follow the instructions on screen. A TV PIN may not be required. To view your booking, once purchased, go to On Demand > Live Events > Event Bookings.

Virgin TV 360 and Stream customers: Go to Home > Pay Per View Events rail. Press OK, then choose the event and follow the instructions on screen. A TV PIN may not be required. To view your booking, once purchased, go to Home > Pay Per View Events rail.