Boxing’s elite are backing Itauma in emphatic fashion, predicting he will unleash a relentless onslaught and deliver a brutal beating to Whyte.
If Itauma were facing the version of Dillian Whyte who once spent over 600 days as Deontay Wilder’s WBC mandatory challenger, the verdict might be far more divided. After all, plenty of questions still remain about the young Chatham southpaw.
But as Whyte approaches the twilight of his career, it’s difficult to find a respected voice in boxing who is confidently picking him to overcome Itauma.
“I even phoned Dillian and said, ‘I don’t know why you’re taking this fight — this kid is on fire right now,’” Derek Chisora told talkSPORT.
“He’s getting better and better. He’s not regressing, he’s pushing forward… and he’s only 20. Honestly, someone should call the police for attempted murder for making this fight happen. That’s not the fight to make right now. Moses is blazing hot, and when Dillian gets battered badly, we’ll have to decide who goes to prison for allowing it. There’s no light at the end of this tunnel.
READ MORE : Itauma Sounds Alarm: “Whyte Playing the Innocent Sheep to
“I think [Itauma] will beat Dillian, and I think he’ll do it convincingly — no disrespect intended. Moses isn’t the light at the end of the tunnel; he is the train, and Dillian is about to run straight into it.”
Dave Allen, who lost on points to Whyte in 2016, offered a similarly bleak assessment for the former world title challenger:
“I think Dillian Whyte has had just three fights in the last three years, and at 37 years old, I expect Itauma to win inside the distance.
“At his peak, Dillian Whyte was a world-class heavyweight, but we haven’t seen that level from him in five or six years. They’re not stupid — they wouldn’t put Itauma in with Dillian if they thought he was anywhere near his best.”
RELATED NEWS : Frank Warren’s Jaw-Dropping Revelation: Could the Heavyweight
Former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew echoed those sentiments:
“In my opinion, Dillian is at the end. He’s being paid a king’s ransom to go in there and be dealt with.”
Meanwhile, Martin Bakole pointed to Itauma’s style and Whyte’s recent inactivity:
“I think maybe Dillian Whyte will get knocked out. He’s been out for a long time. Like Oleksandr Usyk, Moses is a smaller heavyweight who doesn’t need to stand in front of a big guy — he’ll keep moving and pick his shots.
“But the problem is, everyone knows that after rounds four, five, or six, Dillian starts to tire and fight like someone who’s never been in the gym before. That’s when I think it’s over.”
