Itauma demolishes Whyte in first round: Here comes a rising heavyweight star!

In a electrifying performance that lasted less than two minutes, Moses Itauma emphatically stopped Dillian Whyte, further cementing his credentials as the sport's next heavyweight superstar. Headlining a professional boxing card for the first time, the 20-year-old Briton rose to the occasion in what was billed as the most significant test of his career to date.

Itauma wasted no time, unleashing precise and powerful combinations that sent the 37-year-old Whyte crashing to the canvas with a thunderous right hand. With just 119 seconds on the clock, referee Mikael Hook waved off the fight after Whyte bravely managed to climb back to his feet, but was deemed unfit to continue.

This dominant victory extends Itauma's perfect professional record to 13 wins, with an astonishing 11 of those coming by knockout. He has only gone beyond the second round on two occasions, boasting eight first-round stoppages.

"What is next? I will fight anyone they put in front of me," Itauma confidently told DAZN after the bout. "[The crowd] are saying [undisputed champion Oleksandr] Usyk. The team mentioned they want me to get some rounds out. Any of them can happen."

Itauma has consistently displayed maturity beyond his years since his professional debut in 2023, which he won in a mere 23 seconds. He has continued to excel with every step up in competition. Ringside, heavyweight rivals like Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora, and Lawrence Okolie watched as the rising star delivered another undeniable statement.

Despite being the "A-side" of the fight, the Slovakia-born fighter made his ring walk first, only to be made to wait for over three minutes—longer than the fight itself—by Whyte, who delayed his entrance. After a few early feints to gauge his opponent, Itauma began to unload his heavy hands, quickly finding his range. Whyte clearly felt the power and was soon backed against the ropes as Itauma meticulously picked his shots. A perfectly placed right hook to the temple proved to be the decisive blow.

Frank Warren, Itauma's promoter with Queensberry, lauded his young fighter: "How he did it, his temperament, control and composure - he fights better than guys at their peak and he is 20 years of age. He did a job on somebody who has been at the best levels."

Despite entering the fight in the best shape of his career—weighing the lightest he had in 10 years—Whyte could not contend with Itauma's ferocity, and questions about his future in the sport now loom large.

While Itauma's immediate dreams of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history were dashed in May, this emphatic victory puts him firmly on track for a title shot in boxing's glamour division within the next 12 months. With Tyson Fury in retirement, Anthony Joshua in the twilight of his career, and Daniel Dubois having recently lost his IBF title to Usyk, Itauma has once again demonstrated that he is the great British heavyweight hope in waiting.

'I don't want to call out Usyk yet'

Itauma's career has been carefully managed over the past two years, and it's unlikely he'll be rushed into a fight beyond his current means. Undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk remains the man to beat, but Itauma is content to take another strategic step before potentially facing the two-weight great.

"I put on a performance for you guys so it's now 'who's next?'" Itauma stated. "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."

Joseph Parker, known for not shying away from challenges, expressed his admiration for Itauma's talent. "He is a great talent," Parker told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "He put on a great display in terms of power, aggression and picking his shots. For a 20 year-old to be under the lights, he took the pressure on. I would love to share the ring with him one day and we probably will."

The boxing world eagerly awaits to see who will be next in line for Moses Itauma as his meteoric rise continues.