Fury backs Itauma to wreck Usyk after Whyte knockout

Moses Itauma celebrates his stunning victory over Dillian Whyte, raising his arms in triumph after stopping the veteran fighter within two minutes (Illustrative image) (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) Getty Images

Moses Itauma delivered a devastating knockout victory over Dillian Whyte on Saturday night, stopping the experienced heavyweight within two minutes in Riyadh. The 20-year-old British prospect extended his perfect professional record to 13-0 with 11 knockouts in what marked the biggest triumph of his career.

The stunning victory has prompted bold predictions from former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who believes Itauma would defeat undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. "Moses Itauma will wreck all them all old men out of the division," Fury said in a social media video.

Fury's generational prediction

Fury emphasised the generational aspect of boxing in his assessment, drawing from his own championship experience. "Boxing is a young man's game, like I told Wladimir Klitschko when he was 37. Boxing is a young man's game. It waits for nobody," he explained.

The former champion specifically targeted multiple established heavyweights in his prediction. "Moses Itauma will wreck all them all old men out of the division. Usyk, AJ, Miller. Whoever there is that's old. Zhang, whoever else the f*** there is. Luis Ortiz. All these big names of the past," Fury said.

"Even the man who took my belts. Usyk, Moses will wreck him because it's a young man versus an old man. And an old man can't mess with a young man," he added, referencing his recent defeats to the Ukrainian champion.

Itauma's measured response

Despite Fury's confidence, Itauma showed restraint about immediately challenging Usyk for the undisputed title. "I don't want to call out Usyk because I don't believe I deserve the opportunity - but guys that do deserve the opportunity, I want to fight those lot," he said after his victory.

The young heavyweight suggested more realistic next opponents for his development. "So maybe Agit Kabayel, maybe Joseph Parker. Maybe them type of names," Itauma said.

He also acknowledged his team's strategic approach to building his experience. "I know that my team is stressing me getting rounds, so that's why they said Jermaine Franklin would be a good name," Itauma explained.

Promoter's praise and future prospects

Frank Warren delivered exceptional praise for his latest star following the victory. "He's the best young fighter at this age than any fighter I've ever been involved with," the promoter said.

"It was simply a flawless display. Every punch he threw connected and there was just so much variety," Warren added, noting that nobody had previously dominated Whyte in such fashion.

According to the Independent, Itauma currently holds the WBO number one contender position and could receive a title shot in 2026 if Usyk vacates the belts. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has already called for a Usyk versus Itauma fight following previous championship events.

Sources used: "Manchester Evening News", "Mirror", "Independent" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.