20-year-old Moses Itauma Demolishes Whyte inside a round

Rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma wasted little time in making a statement, halting veteran Dillian Whyte inside two minutes on Saturday night to extend his unbeaten record, Sport360NG reports.

Headlining a card for the first time, the 20-year-old produced a ruthless display in what had been billed as the toughest test of his young career. A sharp barrage of punches forced Whyte back, before a thunderous right hand sent the 37-year-old crashing to the canvas. Although he beat the count, referee Mikael Hook waved it off at 1 minute 59 seconds of the opening round.

The Slovakia-born Briton now boasts 13 wins from 13 professional bouts, with 11 of those victories coming inside the distance.

“What’s next? I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me,” Itauma told DAZN after the fight. “The fans are calling for [Oleksandr] Usyk, but my team say they want me to get more rounds. Either way, I’m ready.”

Despite his youth, Itauma has already built a reputation for fast starts, eight of his knockouts have come in the opening round, while only twice has he gone beyond the second. Since his 23-second debut win in 2023, he has continued to impress with each step up in competition.

Former world champions Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora, as well as cruiserweight star Lawrence Okolie, were among those ringside to watch Itauma dismantle Whyte, who had entered the bout in his lightest condition for a decade.

Promoter Frank Warren was quick to praise his fighter: “The way he controlled himself, his temperament and composure, he boxes better than many guys in their prime, and he’s only 20. He just beat someone who’s operated at the very top.”

The defeat leaves serious questions over Whyte’s future. Despite arriving in shape, he was unable to withstand Itauma’s speed and precision.

For Itauma, the victory puts him firmly on course for a world title shot within the next year. With Tyson Fury retired, Anthony Joshua edging towards the end of his career, and Daniel Dubois recently losing his IBF belt to Usyk, the youngster has positioned himself as Britain’s next heavyweight hope.

Although fans are already calling for a crack at Usyk, Itauma struck a more measured tone: “I don’t want to call him out because I don’t think I’ve earned that yet. But names like Agit Kabayel or Joseph Parker, those are the kind of fights I want.”

Parker, who upset Martin Bakole on just two days’ notice earlier this year, welcomed the idea of facing him: “He’s a huge talent. For someone so young, under that kind of pressure, he delivered. I’d love to share the ring with him one day, and I believe it will happen.”