Frank Warren has worked with some of the most successful fighters in British boxing history, including former lineal heavyweight champ
Tyson Fury.
None of them has impressed the 73-year-old promoter this much, this soon as
Moses Itauma. Warren was stunned by the ease with which the 20-year-old heavyweight
obliterated Dillian Whyte on Saturday night at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
London’s
Whyte (31-4, 21 KOs) is 37, but he had lost just to former champions in Fury,
Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin before Itauma instantly dismantled him. Those three had knocked out the hard-hitting Whyte, too, yet not nearly as quickly as the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs), who needed only one minute and 59 seconds
in their 10-round DAZN Pay-Per-View main event.
The left-handed Itauma wobbled Whyte with a right hook that knocked him into the ropes. He never recovered and another right hook knocked Whyte to the canvas.
Referee Mikael Hook halted their bout because Whyte couldn’t stand up straight once he reached his feet.
Warren understandably raved about his precocious contender’s performance during a post-fight press conference Sunday morning.
“I thought this young man here to my right, Moses Itauma, and his team done an unbelievable job,” Warren said. “I’ve been in this sport for many, many, many years, before most of you were born, probably. And to be really honest with you, a 20-year-old fighter at this level … 13 fights, is the best at this stage of his career I’ve ever been involved with, without a doubt.
"That was a phenomenal performance. Nobody’s ever done that to Dillian. Nobody’s ever done that to him. And you look at his resume, the fighters he’s been [in] with over the years, the world champions, tough fights he’s given — he’s only lost three of his fights, which were at the highest level.
“And you look at this young man, what he did with him tonight was just unbelievable. I watched the fight back and every punch connected. It was punch perfect, the way he went about his job and his business. I can’t think of many fighters who’ve done that, certainly at this stage of the game and at this age. So, great performance. I’m really pleased, more than pleased, over the moon with it.”
Chatham’s Itauma is the WBO’s No. 1 heavyweight contender, but interim champ
Joseph Parker is the WBO’s mandatory challenger for undisputed champ
Oleksandr Usyk. Itauma could fight Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) or someone else for the WBO belt if Ukraine’s Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) gives it up rather than defending it against New Zealander.
Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing