High-flying British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Moses Itauma extended his impressive run with a first-round knockout of veteran Willian Whyte at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.
In what was billed as the biggest fight of his career and his 13th professional outing, the rising star rose to the occasion, wasting no time in sending the 37-year-old Whyte to the canvas with a flurry of precise and powerful combinations.
Whyte failed to beat the count after being floored with 119 seconds on the clock in the opening round, forcing referee Mikael Hook to wave off the contest. The victory earned Itauma his 11th knockout in 13 professional fights.
When asked about his next steps, Itauma said he is ready to face anyone put in front of him, though he admitted he has not yet earned the right to call out undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. He instead mentioned Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker as potential opponents and frontrunners to face Usyk.
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“What is next? I will fight anyone they put in front of me,” Moses Itauma told DAZN after the win. “The crowd are saying undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. The team mentioned they want me to get some rounds out. Any of them can happen.”
Moses Itauma once hoped to become the youngest heavyweight world champion, but that dream ended in May. The record remains with Mike Tyson, who claimed the title at 20 years, four months and 23 days old. Still, Itauma has his eyes firmly set on future glory and insists he is not afraid of facing the best in the division.
“I put on a performance for you guys so it’s now ‘who’s next?’,” Itauma said.
“I don’t want to call out Usyk because I don’t believe I deserve the opportunity, but guys that do deserve the opportunity – I want to fight those lot. So maybe Agit Kabayel, maybe Joseph Parker. Maybe them type of names.”
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