British-Nigerian heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma delivered a statement performance on Saturday night, knocking out veteran Dillian Whyte in just one minute and 59 seconds at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 20-year-old southpaw, headlining a professional card for the first time, wasted no time imposing himself on the 37-year-old former WBC interim champion. From the opening bell, Itauma worked behind sharp jabs and feints to measure distance before unleashing his heavy artillery. A wild jab forced Whyte onto the ropes, and a perfectly-timed right hook to the temple sent him crashing to the canvas. Although he bravely climbed to his feet, referee Mikael Hook stopped the contest with Whyte clearly unable to recover.
The emphatic victory extended Itauma’s unbeaten record to 13 wins, including 11 knockouts. Remarkably, he has only been taken beyond the second round twice in his career, recording eight first-round stoppages.
The result also underscored the 17-year age gap, with the younger man’s speed and precision proving too much despite Whyte arriving in the best shape of his career and at his lightest weight in a decade.Promoter Frank Warren was effusive in his praise, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “How he did it, his temperament, control and composure – he fights better than guys at their peak, and he is only 20. He did a job on somebody who has been at the best levels.”
Born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father and Slovak mother, Itauma moved to the UK in 2008 and has long been tipped as the future of British boxing. Holding the WBA International and WBO Inter-Continental belts, the win now puts him firmly in the frame for a potential world title shot within the next 12 months, with fellow heavyweights Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora, and Lawrence Okolie watching closely from ringside.
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