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Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter
If all systems are a go for Moses Itauma’s superstar liftoff, he will need to ace his biggest test to date.
The 20-year-old heavyweight phenom clashes with veteran Dillian Whyte at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and live on DAZN Pay-Per-View tonight.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) has devastated his competition through a dozen fights, entering this bout with eight straight knockouts including the second-round demolition of Mike Balogun in May.
DAZNThat said, Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs), a former two-time WBC interim heavyweight titleholder, has fought former world champions such as Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker and Tyson Fury, so this marks a pivotal exam for Itauma.
Will Itauma use his blazing hand speed and explosive punching power to blast Whyte in an eye-opening statement that propels him to superstardom? Or will ‘The Body Snatcher’ derail that trajectory with a reviving victory?
With the stakes high, DAZN News Mark Lelinwalla analyzes the Keys to Victory for both heavyweights.
Moses Itauma’s Keys to Victory
Assert hand speed early
Moses Itauma’s hand speed is elite at heavyweight and he must flash this quickness early into the fight against a slower, heavy-handed Dillian Whyte.
Doing this early with crisp shots that land flush could be a demoralizing, bitter pill for Whyte, 37, to swallow.
Puzzle Whyte with head-body combinations
Watch Itauma work and he consistently befuddles opponents by alternating head-body and body-head combinations. Sometimes, he will pull off these combos within the regular flow of his offense.
Other times, he is feinting to the body and landing upstairs or vice versa with thunderous shots.
Either way, it is a complex puzzle for opponents to solve and when combined with his hand speed, Itauma could stand to overwhelm the veteran Whyte who is 17 years his senior.
Time counter right
A whiffing left hand from ‘The Body Snatcher’ could be the green light needed for Itauma to unload on a counter right hand that not only swivels Whyte’s jaw in making him taste the canvas, but perhaps keeps him on it for the superstar liftoff to be activated.
Dillian Whyte’s Keys to Victory
Work way inside behind the jab
Dillian Whyte is at his best plowing forward and walking opponents down.
His jab allows him to get into that position effectively.
If he can withstand the early turbulence caused by Itauma’s hand speed, Whyte must find a way to land that prodding jab — even doubling up on it — and work his way inside on the young phenom.
Rip the body
Whyte bangs the body with thudding shots and would be wise to make such deposits to Itauma’s midsection.
Perhaps this commitment to the body slows Itauma down a bit or hurts the 20-year-old.
Either way, Whyte should test Itauma to the body.
Make it a dog fight
The best way to erode Itauma’s abundance of sweet science skills is for Whyte to smother him and muddy up the fight.
That means working his way inside, throwing compact punches in the clinch and keeping the young star in the pressure cooker.
Whyte certainly still possesses the power to derail this freight train.
But if he does not create enough opportunities to unleash it, this could very well be the final major stop of his career.
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.
