'Pressure is a privilege!' - Itauma not weighed down by expectations before Whyte bout

Moses Itauma believes that "pressure is a privilege" as he prepares to face Dillian Whyte, stressing that his foe is "a man that I respect" ahead of their clash in Riyadh.

The pair meet in a blockbuster heavyweight encounter at the ANB Arena in Saudi Arabia, with WBO #1 Itauma looking to score the biggest win of his life on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

A victory would catapult the 20-year-old further into the conversation for a world title shot, especially against another ex-strap challenger in the veteran Whyte himself.

That has seen expectations increase on Itauma's prospects, but speaking with BoxNation ahead of his trip to the Middle East, the star insists he is not feeling the heat.

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"The thing is, pressure is always going to be on me," he said. "It's the same job. I like pressure. Pressure is a privilege. Pressure shows you what you're made of.

"We're about to find out next week. I wouldn't say I try to move away from the pressure, or I try to get rid of it. I like to use it, to let it motivate me. I like to use pressure in a good way."

• Read next | Itauma vs Whyte: Relive the story of heavyweight boxing's brightest prospect ahead of toughest test

Itauma also reiterated that he will not underestimate Whyte, who has turned in a handful of underwhelming performances since his Wembley Stadium loss to Tyson Fury in 2022.

"I've got the number one ranking with the WBO," he added. "A win over me for him would put him maybe [up] for a rematch with Joseph Parker.

"He isn't taking this fight because he's done. I know how much I respect Dillian. A win over a man that I respect... I'm not going to get anywhere fighting people that I don't respect."

Watch Itauma vs Whyte live on DAZN

You can watch Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte live on DAZN on August 16. More information is available here.