Comparisons between Moses Itauma and Mike Tyson are valid - and will only grow if he beats Dillian Whyte

To earn comparisons with the great Mike Tyson says much for Moses Itauma’s precocious talent whilst hinting at his awesome potential.

Itauma takes on 37-year-old Dillian Whyte on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a crossover between two generations of British heavyweights.

The fight represents a big crossroads for both.

Defeat is not an option for either man if they hope to be a name in the world championship conversation after the eventual break-up of Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight titles.

Ahead of the biggest fight of his career, 20-year-old Itauma is already being heralded in some quarters as the next Iron Mike for his aggression and ferocious punching power.

DAZN

Few can forget Tyson’s formidable presence in the ring, intimidating and inspiring in equal measure.

He was a world heavyweight champion at 20 and while his star began to fall after serving time in prison for rape, Tyson’s early exploits cemented him as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

That cannot be denied.

By the time he had turned 21, Tyson had already racked up an incredible 30 straight professional victories.

The Ring Magazine via Getty Images

Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round.

Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title.

He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.

Tyson was a tough, vicious fighter raised on the crime-ridden streets of the Brownsville neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York.

Slovakia-born Itauma, at the same age, is not quite ripping up trees the way Tyson so memorably did. Not yet anyway.

Itauma vs Whyte: The five best Riyadh Season heavyweight showdowns

But to be likened to him is testament to his awesome track record of 12 straight professional wins, including 10 by KO.

That is some going for a man so young and why the Tyson comparisons have been made.

Itauma’s backstory is certainly a lot different to Tyson’s.

Raised by a Slovakian mother and Nigerian father, Itauma moved to the UK as a young child.

He experienced racism in Slovakia but put his fists to good use by taking up boxing after the family moved in Chatham in Kent.

His first two professional bouts underlined his ability and prompted the Tyson links.

In January 2023, Itauma knocked out Czech Republic fighter Marcel Bode in 23 seconds on his pro debut at Wembley Arena.

Two months later, the then 18-year-old needed only 35 seconds to stop Ramon Ibarra in his second professional fight in Telford.

WATCH: Relive Moses Itauma's brutal two-round stoppage against Mike Balogun

It was a remarkable start to his career and encouraged hopes that he could take Tyson’s record by becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion in history.

That did not happen, but Itauma’s upward trajectory has continued apace with another 10 victories.

He has consistently showcased his explosive power and speed to devastating effect, often overwhelming opponents.

In May, he demolished his latest opponent Mike Balogun in Scotland with brutal efficiency.

That should pour confidence into Itauma ahead of this weekend’s clash with Whyte, who makes for a new level of opponent as a former world crown challenger himself.

If he maintains his 100% record and dispatches Whyte in the style to which we have become accustomed, then those Tyson comparisons will continue to grow.

 

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 .