Moses Itauma made a huge statement on Saturday night by stopping former world title contender Dillian Whyte in the very first round, marking himself out as Britain’s next big heavyweight name.
The 20-year-old headlined a boxing card for the first time and needed less than two minutes to get the job done. Just 119 seconds in, he landed a powerful right hand that sent Dillian Whyte crashing to the canvas.
Although the 37-year-old veteran got back to his feet, referee Mikael Hook decided he wasn’t fit to continue, handing Moses Itauma his 13th straight win as a professional, with 11 of those victories coming by knockout.
Speaking after the fight, Moses Itauma told DAZN he was ready for any challenge.
“What is next? I will fight anyone they put in front of me,” he said. “[The crowd] are saying [undisputed champion Oleksandr] Usyk. The team mentioned they want me to get some rounds out. Any of them can happen.”
Itauma has built a reputation as a fast finisher, with eight first-round knockouts on his record and only two fights ever going beyond the second round.
Since bursting onto the professional scene in 2023 with a 23-second debut win, the 20-year-old has looked more impressive each time out.
Big names like Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora and Lawrence Okolie were at ringside to see the young star in action, and Itauma didn’t disappoint.
The Slovakia-born fighter entered the ring first, even though he was the main attraction, and was kept waiting over three minutes as Whyte delayed his walkout, which was longer than the fight itself lasted.
Once the action began, Itauma showed patience, testing with a few early feints before letting his power shots go.
A clean right hook to the temple sealed the contest, leaving Whyte unable to continue despite bravely beating the count.
Promoter Frank Warren praised Itauma’s maturity and composure, telling BBC Radio 5 Live:
He said, “How he did it, his temperament, control and composure – he fights better than guys at their peak and he is 20 years of age. He did a job on somebody who has been at the best levels.”
Whyte came in at his lightest weight in a decade, hoping to show he still had plenty left in the tank, but he couldn’t handle Itauma’s speed and power. His future in the sport now looks uncertain.
For Itauma, the dream of breaking Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest heavyweight champion ended in May, but this win keeps him firmly on course for a world title shot within the next year.
With Tyson Fury retired, Anthony Joshua nearing the end of his career, and Daniel Dubois recently losing his IBF belt to Oleksandr Usyk, Itauma has strengthened his claim as Britain’s next big heavyweight hope.
Despite the hype, his team are expected to keep managing his progress carefully, making sure he doesn’t take a fight too soon that could derail his rise.
Usyk remains the division’s top man, but Itauma isn’t rushing to call him out just yet.
“I put on a performance for you guys so it’s now ‘who’s next?,” Itauma said. “I don’t want to call out Usyk because I don’t believe I deserve the opportunity, but guys that do deserve the opportunity – I want to fight those lot. So maybe Agit Kabayel, maybe Joseph Parker. Maybe them type of names.”
Parker, who has never been one to shy away from a challenge, welcomed the idea.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, he said: “[Itauma] is a great talent. He put on a great display in terms of power, aggression and picking his shots.
“For a 20 year-old to be under the lights, he took the pressure on. I would love to share the ring with him one day and we probably will.”
