'Ridiculous' Moses Itauma must contend with 'annoyed' Dillian Whyte to succeed, says ex-world champion

Moses Itauma is a "ridiculous" fighter, believes Darren Barker, but warns the younger man must contend with an "annoyed" Dillian Whyte when he steps into the ring on Saturday.

The WBO #1 contender faces off with the former WBC interim belt holder and title challenger at the ANB Arena in Riyadh this weekend, with the action live on DAZN Pay-Per View.

Itauma enters as a heavy favourite with bookmakers, particularly after his brutal victories over Demsey McKean and Mike Balogun to elevate his status as the division's rising star.

But while former middleweight champion Barker has hailed the former's all-round attributes, he is also quick to urge caution against the latter, who could still cause problems.

DAZN

"I like celebrating this kind of talent," he said. "I think this is a test, a very decent test. We saw McKean in against Filip Hrogivc and it took him twelve rounds to get the job done.

"The man is ridiculous. The way he dispatches his opponents, it's done with so much intelligence, speed, accuracy and ease. It's all in a day's work.

"But he's in there with a guy who goes in with a lot of pride. We've seen Dillian Whyte. He's trimmed down. He's taking this very, very seriously.

"I think he's annoyed, and I don't mind an annoyed Dillian Whyte going into this fight. I think he's got to grab this fight by the scruff of the neck and show him who's boss."

Watch Itauma vs Whyte live on DAZN

Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte is live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday, August 16. Watch the PPV for free by purchasing a DAZN annual subscription (exc. US).

More information, pricing and to buy click here.