The first real test of the prodigious British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma’s career was passed with flying colors. The 20-year-old from Chatham demolished the much more experienced Dillian Whyte in no time, overwhelming him with punches and knocking him out in the opening round. The main event in Riyadh thus ended almost instantly, leaving fans and viewers stunned. With this victory, Itauma captured the WBO Inter-Continental title and could now be on the verge of his first world title shot.
Some believed Whyte might prove competitive after weighing in at his lightest in the past ten years and showing a more defined physique than usual. Yet his condition seemed far better before the opening bell than after it.
Itauma, also much leaner than in recent outings (around 18 pounds lighter than in his May fight), needed just over a minute to study and figure out his opponent before unleashing his firepower.
Whyte was caught by heavy shots landing alternately to the body and head, unable to read or block them. The 37-year-old from Brixton tried to duck forward to escape his young tormentor’s fury, but instead walked straight into a vicious left hook that landed between the top and the back of his head, sending him stumbling backwards into the ropes.
There, Itauma completely overwhelmed him, showing not only brutal power but also a remarkable variety of offensive tools. One especially notable punch was a right uppercut to the body that visibly hurt Whyte, before a crushing right hook to the temple finished the job and sent the former world title challenger to the canvas.
The “Body Snatcher” bravely tried to get up, but he was clearly dazed and had to use the ropes to stay on his feet, prompting referee Mikael Hook to wisely wave it off.
This lightning victory for the young Englishman was nothing short of impressive, not only because no one had ever battered Dillian Whyte so easily and so quickly, but also because Itauma’s incredible offensive arsenal was on full display tonight.
That said, some questions remain, urging caution before anointing Itauma as a future dominant champion destined to reign for the next two decades.
As in his previous bouts, he barely absorbed a single meaningful punch, which leaves the durability of his chin still untested. Moreover, Itauma once again didn’t go past the sixth round, making it impossible to judge how he might handle a long, grueling, high-intensity fight.
Even so, while further tests are needed to determine whether the young Brit can etch his name into boxing history, the potential he has shown so far is jaw-dropping and makes us extremely optimistic about his future.
Now the question is whether Turki Alalshikh will put forth a lavish offer to entice Itauma into immediately challenging the unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. On one hand, it would be a massive gamble given the enormous gap in experience; on the other, the 20-year-old would get a chance to score a historic victory—along with what would surely be a very lucrative payday.
As for Usyk, he may simply stick to protocol, defend against his mandatory challenger Joseph Parker, and then retire. But he could also be tempted by the immense resources available in Saudi Arabia and agree to take part in an epic intergenerational clash. We’ll just have to wait and see.
[Click here to read our piece on the win probabilities of Usyk’s possible challengers.]