Moses Itauma suggested that Dillian Whyte’s nice guy act is simply a case of ‘playing a sheep to catch a wolf’ at Thursday’s final press conference.

The two heavyweights meet in the final of the Esports World Cup fight week this Saturday night live on DAZN pay-per-view in a fight which will have huge ramifications for the whole division.

On Thursday in Riyadh they said their final words before they finally fight at the ANB Arena on Saturday evening.

Whyte, behind dark glasses, was quietly spoken and refused to be drawn into any form of bickering with his opponent. His demeanour, in fact, was in keeping with the entire build-up where he has downplayed his chances of beating the 20-year-old sensation and insisted he was just happy to be back on the big stage.

But Itauma reckons Whyte is bluffing. He quoted a line from Robert Greene’s famous book ‘The 48 Laws of Power’ to explain what he thinks Whyte is up to.

“I think there’s a rule in the 48 laws of power where you play a sheep to catch a wolf,” Itauma said on the top table.

“I feel like that’s what he is doing. If he is or he’s not it doesn’t matter because I’m going to bring the heat Saturday night.

“I feel like Dillian Whyte is a strong contender and it’s nothing personal, I have respect for every fighter that’s on this table. This is just business.

“To be honest, for a long time I didn’t think the fight was going to happen but we are here, we are live, we are ready. We have trained, we’ve been in camp for 14 weeks not so we are ready to rock and roll.

“I know my gameplan, I know what I’ve got to do. It’s my job to go in there and execute, whatever happens on Saturday night, let it be. We are all heavyweights here, any fight can end at any point. I’m not delusional. I know what threat Dillian Whyte poses. I’m not overlooking him. I’m taking this man serious.”

Despite Itauma’s claim, the 37-year-old Jamaica-born Londoner did not take the bait.

“Ain’t no sheep around here,” he said. “A lot of wolves but no sheeps.

“I always come to fight and nothing has changed. I always try to give my all in the ring and nothing has changed.”

It has been suggested that this is little more than a cash-out for Whyte, inactive for the best part of three years and admittedly considering retirement.

But he added: “There’s so much more left for me to achieve and chase in the game. I haven’t really sat back and looked at my career. I’m someone who isn’t supposed to be here; never had a great amateur career, no support, a kid from Jamaica who has been written off many times.

“I was meant to be dead before I was in my 20s but here I am doing stuff. What more can I say?”

When the pair were brought together for the head-to-head shot, they exchanged more words and Whyte held both his thumbs up in Itauma’s face. The nice guy act continues but who will be the wolf on the night

The fight is 48 hours away.