Published On: Sun, Aug 17th, 2025

The Moses Itauma train has left the station, and the next stops need careful planning

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 16: Moses Itauma punches Dillian Whyte during the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title fight between Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte on the ESports World Cup fight night at the ANB arena on August 16, 2025 in Riyadh, .  (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Moses Itauma punches Dillian Whyte during their heavyweight fight at ANB Arena on Aug. 16, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Richard Pelham via Getty Images

The question of "What's next?" lingered in the air in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as heavyweight darling Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) addressed the smattering of fans still in attendance inside ANB Arena. At just 20 years old, the towering Briton stood tall in the ring — 6 feet, 4 inches of calm dominance — scarcely showing a sign of exertion.

He had needed barely two minutes — 119 ruthless seconds — to erase the challenge of seasoned veteran Dillian Whyte (31-4, 21 KOs) in what had been billed as his biggest test to date. The 37-year-old was no match for Itauma’s cold precision and explosive power. What unfolded was less a fight than a showcase: a clinical, destructive exhibition of heavyweight instinct that left no doubt: It’s now safe to believe the hype.

Itauma’s question beared a predictable answer: Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs). Such is the nature of today’s fast-paced world. In a Turki Alalshikh and Saudi investment-injected sport, patience is even thinner; when a contender to one of boxing’s thrones breaks through, you as the fighter are obliged to call for the biggest and accept the best. If you don’t? You risk getting frozen out.

“Honestly, I'll fight anyone they put in front of me,” Itauma said. “But if I’m being completely honest, Joseph Parker and [Agit] Kabayel do deserve their shot, but I'd love to take that opportunity [Usyk] as well. Chuck me in there with the lot. I'm only 20 years old. I've got maybe 10, 15 years left in this career. So, man, there's gonna be a lot of this face around. So I'm just happy to be able to put a performance on for you guys.”

Itauma's assessment is right. He has painted himself into the heavyweight picture at such a tender age, but the brushstrokes that follow need careful consideration as well as a steady hand. Saturday night’s fight against Whyte was considered a big step up for the Slovakian-born Briton, but form and stock in the heavyweight division famously fluctuates.

Whyte’s slender, sculpted physique suggested he was close to career-best shape. But the “Bodysnatcher’s” performances have fallen off since a brutal 2020 KO loss to Alexander Povetkin. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but he was oversold as a big step up for Itauma, meaning there are still plenty more rungs to explore before reaching the champion — currently Usyk — at the top of the ladder.

As the current crop of heavyweight giants nears retirement, Itauma and his team will no doubt approach a fork in the road: chase a Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, or plant their flag in the new crop of heavyweight talent and spearhead the next generation without a need to look back. Boxing’s conveyor belt doesn’t end and the romanticized "passing-of-the-torch" fights don’t always materialize.

Itauma’s promoter, Queensberry’s Frank Warren, has no problem championing the limitless ceiling of his charge. 

“He catches you and he doesn't get flustered," Warren said. "He gets space on his shots. He doesn't fall into the opponent. Every shot he throws is a hurtful punch, and it's a well-measured punch. He's an unbelievable, unbelievable talent, an unbelievable boxing talent — probably one of the best, if not the best, at this stage of his career I've ever been involved with.”

The "retired" Tyson Fury agrees. “Moses [Itauma] would beat [Oleksandr] Usyk now,” he said through a video on social media, once again baiting a reaction from the Ukrainian who holds two wins over the “Gypsy King.” The cynic might suggest Fury is already positioning himself to be considered in future Itauma conversations.

If all goes to plan, we’ll benefit from a future Moses Itauma reign. Despite not benefiting from the early exposure and Olympic success Anthony Joshua did, the blueprint is there for Itauma to become the next face of the division and sport. Certainly in the United Kingdom as a stadium fighter, if not worldwide.

Rushing him into major fights will be tempting. The Ring Magazine “learned” from its owner Alalshikh that Itauma versus Usyk is what the Saudi kingpin wants next, so it’s now down to Itauma's team to temper these conversations.

Itauma has become a buzzword in boxing. His hype train had sold out in the lead-up to Saturday night’s fight, and 119 seconds after boarding, the train pulled away from the station. The stops along the way will ultimately determine its final destination — for boxing’s sake, let's hope it’s a long, exciting journey.

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