Moses Itauma massacred Dillian Whyte, putting the boxing world on notice

It was supposed to be a test for Moses Itauma (13-0), scheduled for 30 minutes, but Dillian Whyte (31-4) became his eighth first-round victim in the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Itauma softened the body with shots as powerful as armor-piercing rounds and dropped him with a mean right-hooking head shot that rendered his legs into spaghetti. 

The 20-year-old heavyweight retained his WBA International belt and the WBO Intercontinental title, while adding the vacant Commonwealth title.  

Whyte ate a shotgun jab 15 seconds into the fight, instantly earning his respect. It was the first sign his body wouldn’t stand the southpaw’s bashing. Then Itauma connected an overhand left downstairs and sensed his foe’s vulnerability like a lion pouncing on a wounded gazelle. He followed up a few seconds later with a jab to the head that brought Whyte’s hands up, and launched a spear to the belly.

 The rest must have been a blur for Whyte and the thought of “why did y’all sign me up for this” must have been the first to cross his mind as soon as his corner attended to him. 

Itauma finished it off with a combination to the head that hurt Whyte, a fierce scourge in the corner and hooked him below the ear as he tried to escape slowly. 

The Slovak-born Brit thought the fight would last longer, but he kept spotting openings. “I keep seeing this happen. I can’t miss it.” He was asked about who he wants to fight, and he answered that Agit Kabayel (26-0), who won the vacant WBC interim heavyweight title in February, and Joseph Parker, who retained the WBO interim heavyweight title on the same February card, deserve it.

Additionally, Nick Ball defeated Sam Goodman in a 12-round unanimous decision, keeping his WBA featherweight title. Hayato Tsutsumi stopped Qais Ashfaq in round three. And Filip Hrgović won a 10-round unanimous decision over David Adeleye.