Veteran heavyweight Dillian Whyte believes he still has the power to derail the hype train as he prepares to face 20-year-old phenom Moses Itauma on August 16 in Riyadh. The bout has been billed as a crucial stepping stone for Itauma, who remains undefeated at 12-0 and is being groomed for a potential clash with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and architect of Saudi Arabia’s growing grip on global boxing, has publicly floated the idea of matching Itauma with Usyk a move that has added even more weight to the August bout.
But Whyte, now 37 and more than twice Itauma’s age, is unfazed by the fanfare.
Dillian Whyte reveals to The Ring that former foe Derek Chisora called him questioning why he has taken the dangerous Moses Itauma fight on Aug 16th in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/CvFNFWMHf7
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 31, 2025
Whyte has been around for a long time and has seen rising young prospects come and go. He was one of those guys and was able to last throughout all of the hype.
“Sometimes these guys get rushed, or sometimes they get blown out of proportion and then things go wrong. It’s heavyweight boxing. Heavyweight boxing … it’s unpredictable. I’ve always taken the most dangerous fight and the hardest fight there is.”
Whyte denied he was fazed by the speculation about the fight. “I don’t feel disrespected. In life, everybody’s got an opinion. Everybody’s going to say something. He’s been in the limelight, he’s the new man, he’s shining, he’s knocking everyone out … there’s excitement about him.
“People’s memories are short in boxing. You remember a few years ago when David Haye fought Carl Thompson. Carl Thompson was just a danger man that was in the wilderness. No one cared about Carl Thompson. David Haye was blowing everyone away, smashing everyone’s heads in. And then, look, Carl Thompson showed up and got the job done.”
Whyte’s reference to Thompson’s underdog win over Haye serves as both a warning and a statement of intent. He may not be the man of the moment, but he’s betting on veteran savvy and unpredictability to carry him through.
For Itauma, this fight marks his biggest test yet. For Whyte, it might be the last opportunity to remind the world of who he once was and maybe still is.
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