Dillian Whyte labels Andy Ruiz Jr ‘Jabba the Hutt’ as he weighs up his next fight opponent

Dillian Whyte has compared fellow heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr to Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt in a jibe at his weight for last weekend’s unsuccessful world title defence against Anthony Joshua.

Ruiz went into the fight more than a stone heavier than Joshua, going on to lose the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight championships in a one-sided defeat against the man he beat just six months before. Since losing his grasp on the belts, Ruiz has admitted that he failed to prepare adequately for the rematch, with the dethroned champion saying “I just ate everything” and “drunk a few more Coronas than I should have”.

The Mexican-American has unsurprisingly been criticised for his admission and the way that he wasted the opportunity to beat Joshua for a second time, and Whyte has waded in with his view despite his long-winded rivalry with his fellow Briton.

“Have you seen Star Wars? He is Jabba the Hutt,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “He should be ashamed of himself. I don't understand – these guys work so hard to get to a place, then get there, then fall off the edge of a cliff.

“People might say I came in out of shape as well. But that's a different story, I wasn't the unified heavyweight champion of the world!

“If Ruiz Jr wants it, he can get it, because he's now a big player in the game. I'd go to Mexico to fight him.”

With the World Boxing Council [WBC] lifting the suspension placed on Whyte on Wednesday afternoon, he will be reinstated as the organisation’s mandatory challenger once Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury have met next February.

However, much like his past career – Whyte spent more than two years as Wilder’s mandatory without getting a world title shot – he will have to wait before finally getting his chance to join the top echelon of the division, meaning other opponents will be needed to fill his short-term schedule.

One of those identified by Whyte as a realistic opponent is Alexander Povetkin, who he believes would help increase his experience in the ring and deliver a fight the public want to see.

I would definitely love that to be my next fight, 100 per cent,” Whyte said. “He's tough, he's got fast hands. He's an Olympic gold medallist, a former world champion.

It's another great experience fight for me because I'm still inexperienced. I would love this as my next fight in March. We would trade. Povetkin is a very good fighter because he does little things with his sharp hands. There wouldn't be any running or moving - we're two guys who would be trading until one of us get decked!”

However, the trilogy fight against Joshua is a bout that now appears certain to happen sooner rather than later, with Whyte beating Joshua in the amateur ranks before suffering the reverse in their British heavyweight title bout four years ago.

Whyte said: “[He’s a] two-time heavyweight world champion. What can I say? I'd love a third fight with him because the score is 1-1.

“I can beat him. He is open to the left hook and I've got the best left hook in the business. I believe I can knock him out, and I believe I will. Whoever wants it, can get it.”

Yet while there now seems to be a respect between Whyte and Joshua where there recently wasn’t, the same cannot be said about his opinion of Wilder.

“Coward. Chicken. Yellow-livered hill-billy,” added Whyte of Wilder. “It would be a tough fight because he is quite agile with awkward movement. I would expect a tough fight but I believe I can knock Wilder out.

“People might laugh but I believe I can get to him, and knock him out. It wouldn't be a fight where I would jab my way in. I'd run at him in the first round and start brawling and, if I get chinned, then so be it.”