Moses Itauma ripped through Dillian Whyte in Riyadh to deliver the most devastating statement of his young career, obliterating the former world title challenger inside two minutes.
The heavyweight phenom wasted no time stamping his authority, unloading a jolting opening burst that rocked Whyte before following up with spiteful precision.
Once Whyte was hurt, Itauma sensed the end and swarmed, hammering his rival with a relentless barrage until a final crunching blow led the referee to stop the action.
Intervention came at 1:59 of the very first round, sealing Itauma’s arrival as a genuine global force at just 20 years of age.
For Whyte, it marked another painful setback in a career that once flirted with the sport’s summit, while for Itauma it was the clearest sign yet that a new British heavyweight era is already upon us.
Itauma asked the crowd to call out his next move in an interview with DAZN during the aftermath, with most stating the Londoner should fight Oleksandr Usyk for the heavyweight title.
“Everyone is shouting out Usyk, and I’m ranked number one with the WBO. Maybe Joseph Parker, but everyone wants me to get rounds. I’m only 20 years old and there’s going to be a lot of this face around for 15 years.”
Results
Nick Ball made it a double celebration for Britain by retaining his WBA featherweight crown with a hard-fought points win over Sam Goodman.
The Liverpool star adjusted after four rounds to take control, winning widely on two cards at 118-110 and 117-111, while a 115-113 tally flattered the challenger.
In the heavyweight co-feature, Filip Hrgovic outpointed David Adeleye over ten, but the eighth round stole the show.
Adeleye was dropped by a huge right, then stunned Hrgovic seconds later in a wild three minutes that had fans on their feet.
Hrgovic took it clearly on the cards, though Adeleye’s heart and power boosted his stock despite defeat.
Elsewhere, Japan’s Hayato Tsutsumi dropped and stopped Qais Ashfaq in three, and Raymond Ford boxed smartly to outpoint Abraham Nova.
Saudi prospect Mohammed Alakel blasted out Yumnam Santosh Singh in a round before celebrating with a backflip.
About the Author
Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.