By Daily Sports Nigeria on August 18, 2025

Rising talent Moses Itauma has issued a challenge after his devastating knockout victory over Dillian Whyte strengthened his credentials as the next heavyweight star, PNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 20-year-old fighter needed less than two minutes to emphatically stop the veteran at the ANB Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, rising to the occasion in what was billed as the biggest test of his career to date.

After some precise and powerful combinations, Itauma sent Whyte, 37, crashing down with a thundering right hand. With 119 seconds on the clock, referee Mikael Hook waved off the fight after Whyte had climbed back to his feet.

The victory extended Itauma’s perfect professional record to 13 wins, with 11 of those coming by knockout.

“What is next? I will fight anyone they put in front of me,” the British-Nigerian told DAZN after his statement performance.

“(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 only gone beyond the second round on two occasions and has eight first-round stoppages on his record, demonstrating maturity beyond his years since winning in just 23 seconds on his professional debut in 2023.

Undisputed champion Usyk remains the man to beat, but Itauma is happy to take another step before potentially going up against the two-weight great.

“I put on a performance for you guys, so it’s now ‘who’s next?’,” Itauma 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,” Queensberry’s Frank Warren, who promotes Itauma, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He did a job on somebody who has been at the best levels.”

Despite getting into the shape of his career – weighing the lightest for 10 years – Whyte could not cut it with Itauma, and questions linger over his future.

Itauma’s dreams of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history ended in May, but this victory puts him firmly on track for a title shot in boxing’s glamour division in the next 12 months.

With Tyson Fury in retirement, Anthony Joshua in the twilight of his career and Daniel Dubois losing his IBF title to Usyk last month, Itauma once again demonstrated he is the great British heavyweight hope in waiting.

The Slovakia-born fighter has been carefully managed through the first two years of his career and it is unlikely he will be rushed into a fight beyond his means to put all that hard work in jeopardy saying, “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 that type of name.”

Parker is certainly not afraid to take on a challenge – as he showed by taking on the widely avoided Martin Bakole on just two days’ notice and earning a stunning win.

“(Itauma) is a great talent,” Parker told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

“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.”

Source Punch Ng

Posted August 18, 2025

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