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Where does Dillian Whyte rank in his generation of British heavyweights?
Dillian Whyte and Moses Itauma are at contrasting stages of their careers when they meet in Saudi Arabia this weekend, live on DAZN.
At 20 years of age, Itauma is pushing for a world-title shot. A win over the 37-year-old Whyte would establish his credentials even further, especially considering the veteran’s presence in the British boxing heavyweight scene.
Itauma may be the hottest talent in his own generation of fighters, but where exactly does Whyte rank in his era of British heavyweights?
Dillian Whyte’s start to boxing life
Whilst boasting a background in combat sports, Whyte’s boxing experience was rather limited heading into his profession debut. His first amateur fight was a shock victory over Anthony Joshua in 2009, one of just six bouts for Whyte in the unpaid code.
Prior to picking up the boxing gloves, Whyte had enjoyed success as a kickboxer, becoming British champion, as well as dabbling in MMA.
It was Whyte’s kickboxing background that caused a dispute with the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA), leading to ‘The Villain’ turning professional in 2011.
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Perhaps forced into the paid ranks before he was ready, Whyte’s first fights as a pro were against foreign journeymen, leading to little overlap with fellow British fighters. He fought just one fellow Brit in his first 16 fights, winning all of those bouts.
That paved the way for a shot at Joshua, who had taken the momentum of his 2012 Olympic gold medal into his professional career. Fans will likely remember the fracas that spilled into the ring at the end of the first round, with Whyte retaliating to a Joshua punch thrown after the bell.
Once things had calmed down, the referee reprimanded both fighters, with no points deductions. Most of the fight was controlled by Joshua, who marked a step up in quality for Whyte.
That being said, Whyte was also of a different level to Joshua’s previous foes, asking questions of the heir apparent. In the end, Joshua’s power would tell. Joshua had Whyte wobbling in the seventh, before knocking him down - and out.
Dillian Whyte’s title shot ends in defeat to fellow Brit Tyson Fury
Whyte is not too far removed from his prime, having contested for a world title three years ago. His bid at a major belt was dented by a loss to Alexander Povetkin in 2020, relinquishing control of his World Boxing Council (WBC) interim belt.
He avenged his knockout loss with a stoppage of his own in the rematch, teeing up a fight with fellow Brit Tyson Fury thanks to his mandatory challenger status. The first press conference to promote the fight was notable due to Whyte’s absence, with his team stating at the time that 'we still do not have things resolved'.
Fury accused his absent opponent of surrendering by showing the ‘white flag’, whilst comparing himself to a Ferrari and Whyte to a Vauxhall Corsa.
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A new record for a boxing crowd in Europe was set, with 94,000 packed into Wembley to see the all-British world title fight. Whyte’s position as the underdog was clear; Fury’s ringwalk included the ‘Gypsy King’ sitting on a throne with excessive fireworks set off.
Whyte tried something different in the first round, taking a southpaw stance, promoting Fury to switch-hit and swap between lead hands. Ultimately, just like in the Joshua fight, the greater fighter’s quality told.
Up on all three judges’ scorecards at the time, Fury found a right uppercut that sent Whyte sprawling to the canvas. He managed to get back to his feet before the count, but the referee felt it would be unsafe to continue.
That remains the only time Whyte has fought for a world title, and unless he pulls out a big win over Itauma, it seems likely that he will not get another chance.
Dillian Whyte – in a class of his own below Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury?
Defeated by top dogs Joshua and Fury, Whyte has a strong argument for being in the echelon just below.
He has beaten big names from abroad in the form of Joseph Parker and Povetkin, admittedly taking two bites to defeat the latter. His record of 31-3 is very respectable, all of his losses coming against fighters who at one point reigned as world champion.
Unable to defeat either Joshua or Fury, Whyte has twice beaten Derek Chisora, a gritty fighter that has shared the ring with many feared opponents. Whyte has also faced, and beaten, Dave Allen, a notable name in British boxing that is only a few years of being a part of the generation led by Fury and Joshua.
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In fact, out of the major British heavyweights aged over 35, Joe Joyce is the only other big name that has not shared a ring with Whyte.
Joyce’s stock itself has fallen in recent years, with four defeats in his last five fights, taking the shine off wins over Parker and Daniel Dubois. Aside from facing a young Dubois, Joyce has only fought one other big British name, Chisora. He lost by a unanimous decision to ‘Del Boy’ in July 2024.
As such, despite perhaps not having the same highs as his contemporaries, it is fair to suggest that Whyte is the best of the rest when it comes to British heavyweights of his generation.
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Dillian Whyte – better than Derek Chisora?
If Whyte is held in the same category alongside Chisora, then it would only be fair to list him above his former opponent based on his two victories.
For the most part, the British heavyweights that have operated at the top of the division since 2016 are fairly easily to compare, thanks to their tendency to fight each other. A tight split decision victory for Whyte over Chisora in 2016 was ran back two years later.
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Whyte made certain of the win this time around, knocking out his fellow Brit in the 11th round. He arguably needed it – despite two point deductions for Chisora, thanks to a knockdown in the eighth and elbow in the 11th, ‘War’ was up on two of the three judges’ cards by 95-94.
Chisora also has more losses on his record, his willingness to share the ring with anyone and everyone working to his detriment. Both Chisora and Whyte might feel as if they are the nearly men of British boxing, with little to choose between them.
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 .
