Moses Itauma meets Dillian Whyte on August 16 – a generational fight that could decide the future of the heavyweight division.
With Oleksandr Usyk’s knockout victory over Daniel Dubois, the heavyweight circus has reached a new high – but the focus is now on the next generation. An explosive duel is scheduled for August 16 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh: The up-and-coming heavyweight talent Moses Itauma meets the experienced former world championship challenger Dillian Whyte. It is a generational fight with potentially far-reaching consequences for boxing’s premier class.
For Itauma (12-0, 10 knockouts), it is the biggest test of his young career. The 20-year-old is regarded as a future contender for the Usyk throne. Promoter Turki Al-Sheikh promptly brought Itauma’s name into play after Usyk’s latest victory – provided he passes against Whyte. The 37-year-old, who is looking to bounce back after his knockout defeat to Tyson Fury and two unconvincing victories, has his back to the wall. Another defeat – especially a premature end – would probably bury his hopes of another title fight for good.
There’s also action in the supporting program: Filip Hrgovic fights David Adeleye, while Nick Ball and Sam Goodman wrestle for the next step towards Naoya Inoue in the featherweight division. In the super feather, Ray Ford wants to keep his World Championship chances alive with a win over Abraham Nova.
Text by Robin Josten