Trainer Andy Lee says Moses Itauma could find himself in a “real fight” on Saturday night if Dillian Whyte makes it past the fourth round against him at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. Lee states that people see what the 20-year-old Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) made of if Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) and landing his bombs.
We know that Itauma has the three-foot step back that he uses, which appears to be a perfect imitation of the one Shakur Stevenson utilizes. However, that may not be enough to keep Whyte from chasing him down like a wolf chasing a frightened chicken.
Itauma’s First True Test
“If it gets past the fourth round, then it’s a real fight,” said trainer Andy Lee to talkSport Boxing. “Then you’ll see what Moses is made of and what Dillian has left.
“It’s a great piece of matchmaking for Queensberry. It’s the right step up at the right time for Moses to put himself up amongst those top heavyweights of the world. He’s never been at this level and never fought at this level,” Lee continued about Itauma. “But saying that, he’s never looked like he’s going to stumble on a hurdle yet.”
Going from the 41-year-old Mike Balogun to Whyte isn’t what I would call a “great piece of matchmaking” unless it’s meant in a derogatory sense. Queensberry is throwing Itauma into the fire, counting on Whyte being washed up enough for Moses to get through this fight.
The Four-Round Test
“You’re in there with a guy that has been the rounds. He’s fought Fury, fought Joshua, and fought Chisora,” said Andy about Whyte.
Itauma could find himself in hot water if he doesn’t get Dillian out early in the fight. The 20-year-old doesn’t have the experience against even remotely quality opposition at the pro level. While Queensberry has done a bang-up job of bringing Itauma along through 12 rounds, they’ve been overprotective of him, sheltering him too much to develop him.
Looking at the records of the opponents Itauma fought in the amateurs, he appears to have been protected down there as well. That’s not a good sign. He’s been fighting punching bags for the last eight years since 2017.