Christopher Walker: Why the Moses Itauma fight could define Dillian Whyte's career

Dillian Whyte was not expected to be a frequent PPV headliner - someone who would become an essential character during the period of the British boxing PPV boom.

The contrasting heavyweight has been a marquee name for the bulk of the last decade, but does his career and legacy now hinge on how he performs against a man who is almost half his age?

Turning professional in 2011 with minimal fanfare and even less boxing experience, Whyte’s early stages on his road to superstardom took place in boxing backwaters away from the spotlight usually reserved for Olympic heroes and blue chip prospects. 

No vest code medals to speak of and no glowing testimonies from those who know a sure thing, Whyte defected to the pros possessing some minor skills from his background as a kickboxer and an amateur win over a certain Anthony Joshua, who would go on to become the darling of a nation after his gold medal at the 2012 London games. 

At a time when David Haye was a heavyweight ruler, and with Tyson Fury and David Price making huge strides on their journey towards title contention, Whyte went the distance with Tayar Mehmed in front of a handful of people at Medway Park in Gillingham.  

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Frank Maloney, a few years before a remarkable transition into Kellie, saw something in the raw novice and he was building his ledger in a small manner compared to his domestic contemporaries, Whyte was impressing in the gym. 

“He’s useful and he doesn’t stop. He’s good to get in for sparring,” said Price, also guided by Maloney at the time, when speaking to this writer in 2012. 

Hunter to hunted in career saving bout

14 years later, Whyte, still a PPV attraction, is fighting to save his career as he goes from hunter to hunted against arguably the best prospect in world boxing, Moses Itauma. 

Three years ago, Whyte was one side of one of the biggest events in British history when challenged Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight belt inside Wembley Stadium. After years of chasing such a shot, Whyte’s big moment was ruined on the grandest stage as he outclassed and stopped in six one-sided rounds, and it is still not clear whether he has fully recovered . 

To land Fury, Whyte had to endure many tough night inside British rings against elite names, and it was his rivalry with Joshua that elevated him to a platform that he still remains on to this day. 

Clinging onto that amateur win for dear life, Whyte, combined with the insane rise in Joshua’s popularity, were placed on a collision course similar to George Groves and James DeGale, where an unpaid feud would follow them into the professional code. 

One of boxing’s most tried and tested promotional narratives, Whyte’s amateur win over Joshua would be a lucrative currency and Joshua’s career could not move on until he had proven that he was capable of securing victory over his domestic nemesis. 

At the end of 2015, in one of the year’s most vicious battles, Joshua and Whyte delivered a seesaw epic that first demonstrated the vulnerabilities of both men. Joshua was victorious thanks to a seventh round finish, but Whyte had also hurt ‘AJ’ in the second round and his stock had increased due to the manner of his never say die attitude. 

Responding well in the following years, Whyte would register impressive wins over Dave Allen, Joseph Parker, and Derek Chisora in pursuit of world titles that were held at various times by Fury, Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. 

Whyte was eager to get a belt and after installing himself on the WBC path, the pursuit of Wilder, then Fury, after his 2020 mauling of the American, was a lengthy one that would see him come unstuck in Eddie Hearn’s back garden. 

After dropping Alexnader Povetkin twice, Whyte was set up for a stunning uppercut and he was unable to recover as the former champion scored a shock win despite his advanced age. Povetkin’s wily approach had ruined Whyte’s title aspirations, but a rematch win for Whyte the following year seemingly put the plan back on track until Whyte ran into Fury. 

Boxing has long featured fighters who have failed to recover from one loss and there’s some evidence that Whyte may still be feeling the effects from his defeat to Fury as has not displayed the same venom he was able to restore after falling short against Joshua and Povetkin. 

Straight after Fury, Whyte was fed Jermaine Franklin, an intended confidence builder that had the opposite effect as the unfancied American almost caused an upset as Whyte edged it on the scorecards. 

Next came Christian Hammer and Whyte was able to easily navigate that one, but against Ebenezer Tetteh, Whyte struggled throughout before he was able to stop the exhausted African in the seventh round. 

Tetteh has since been obliterated in one round by Frazer Clarke and he was stopped in the opening session by Dnaiel Dubois back in 2019. Heading into an Itauma fight on Saturday night, the form guide looks desperately worrying for the Brixton man. 

In 2022, the forecast for Whyte’s future appeared positive and bright as he got ready to oppose Fury. Then plenty of knowledgeable people within the sport expecting him to derail the momentum of the trailblazing ‘Gypsy King.’ 

Now, Whyte, a poster boy for boxing’s cruel manner of replacing faded stars with shiny new ones, is being used as the man to propel Itauma to another echelon, the level that Whyte once was frequented. 

Once considered the chief tormentor of Joshua, Fury, and Parker, the world champions of a fabulous era, defeat on Saturday night, in brutal fashion, could make him this era’s Trevor Berbick.

A decorated star only remembered for a loss that elevated the new face of boxing.

Watch Itauma vs Whyte live on DAZN

Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte is live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday, August 16. Buy the PPV for a one-off fee or get it for free by purchasing a DAZN annual subscription (exc. US).

More information, pricing and to buy  click here .