Dillian Whyte handed unbeaten heavyweight his first loss to bounce back from Tyson Fury defeat in 2022

Dillian Whyte gave Jermaine Franklin Jr. the first loss of his career

In April 2022, Whyte was unable to accomplish his dreams of becoming a world champion. Despite being an interim world title holder, he was unable to dethrone fellow countryman Fury.

A sixth-round uppercut from Fury would knock out Whyte, as his record fell to 28-3.

Seven months later, Whyte would return from the vicious stoppage. Once again fighting in his home country, ‘The Body Snatcher’ was paired with Jermaine Franklin Jr.

‘989 Assassin’ Franklin Jr. had a professional record of 21-0, but went into his bout with Whyte as a significant underdog.

Despite the odds predicting a one-sided performance from a then-34-year-old Whyte, it was a close affair between the heavyweights.

Both heavyweights had significant success in the fight, which resulted in one judge scoring the bout as a draw.

However, the two remaining judges were in agreement regarding a winner of the bout. With two scorecards of 116-112, Whyte was able to return to the win column.

Many fans felt that Franklin Jr. was the winner of the bout, but he saw his record fall to 21-1.

Dillian Whyte will aim to hand Moses Itauma the first defeat of his career

Whyte’s win over Franklin Jr. would be his first of three wins in a row, as ‘The Body Snatcher’ also notched wins against Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh.

The three fight win streak would result in Whyte receiving offers to fight Joshua, Joseph Parker, and Moses Itauma. Due to circumstances regarding availability, Whyte accepted the fight with Itauma.

The 20-year-old Itauma has been making noise in the heavyweight division, as many see him as a threat to the heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

In order to prove he is of world title caliber, Itauma must get past the test of Whyte. When the pair meet on August 16th, Whyte will aim to do as he did against Franklin Jr. to beat the undefeated fighter.