Boxing is back, baby!
After a sleepy fortnight of limited action, Turki Alalshikh has unpacked his suitcase and stuck a pin in his summer plans in order to showcase one of the sport’s brightest young stars.
Moses Itauma may only be 20 years young, but the Briton has been placed on a pedestal in the heavyweight division. From “Iron” Mike Tyson comparisons to the expectation he will dominate across the next decade; there is growing pressure on the man that has only contested 25 rounds as a professional boxer.
Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Itauma will be pushed into the deeper end of the heavyweight division for the first time, facing veteran Dillian Whyte. Will Itauma sink or swim?
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Will Moses Itauma make a heavyweight statement?
Moses Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) has blitzed his way through a who’s who of D-grade heavyweights since 2023. The heavy-hitting southpaw hasn’t been tested yet, but all signs are pointing toward a future star.
Since winning a WBO intercontinental trinket last May, Itauma has stopped Mariusz Wach, Demsey McKean and Mike Balogun inside a combined five rounds, signaling the need for a climb up the ladder. British veteran Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) is the chosen assignment — but don’t call him that to his face. The “Bodysnatcher” brings 14 years of professional experience, hoping to roll the dice once more en route to a second world title shot.
Whyte has been flown to Saudi Arabia to make Itauma look good — he’s too well traveled and long in the tooth not to realize that. But this widespread underestimation will only fuel the fire of the 37-year-old.
If Itauma is anywhere close to the level he’s been touted, then he should make pretty short work of Whyte. Sparring stories of a 15-year-old Itauma troubling seasoned heavyweights will be filed under hearsay if he isn’t able to clear this first major hurdle.
But if he does, then expect the hyperbole to go into overdrive in the coming months. In an aging heavyweight division, Itauma’s destiny is in his own hands.
What’s left in the tank for Dillian Whyte?
Whyte has been out of the public eye for a couple of years.
Once a regular at the business end of the British domestic heavyweight scene, Whyte retreated into the shadows after a one-sided loss to Tyson Fury in 2022 and controversy surrounding a failed drugs test — later concluded as a contaminated supplement — before a canned rematch with Anthony Joshua.
He’s been training in Portugal and looks in shape, dialed in and determined.
But we’ve been here many times before with Whyte. The Jamaican-born Londoner talks a good game and has the enviable ability to land himself spots in pay-per-view main events — and who would begrudge him another opportunity?
Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding Saturday night. Even in defeat, Whyte can come out of this with an increased reputation, but there is also the danger that a dominant display from the youngster could retire Whyte from meaningful fights.
Whyte’s left hook is the great equalizer, and we’re all aware of the soundbites explaining how dangerous and unpredictable the heavyweight division is, but his lack of speed and defensive capabilities means that, on paper, he is tailor-made for Itauma.
Will Sam Goodman end Nick Ball’s reign and the UK’s 37-year world championship streak?
Nick Ball is the United Kingdom’s last man standing.
As a nation, the UK has boasted a recognized male world champion (as confusing as that term has been across four decades) for the past 37 years, and Ball’s WBA featherweight title now stands alone on that list.
Sam Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) attempts to play Brock Lesnar to the streak in the co-main event on Saturday night, going head-first into a tantalizing blend of styles at 126 pounds.
Goodman will argue he enjoys front-footed pressure and walking his opponents down, but in comparison to the “Wrecking” Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs), the Australian challenger fights like a — Googles defensive animals — bombardier beetle.
Ball’s attacking philosophy is head down, march forward and land bombs — so far, it’s worked incredibly well. This isn’t to suggest he is one-dimensional. Ball has also shown maturity off the back foot in recent wins and may have to show a mixture of tools to snatch Goodman’s unbeaten record.
Goodman is a competent fighter, but Ball’s aggression and early assault to his lengthy frame will ask questions of Goodman that he hasn’t been forced to answer yet as a professional.
Is David Adeleye a good underdog pick against Filip Hrgović?
Filip Hrgović (18-1, 14 KOs) has been touted as a serious heavyweight contender for a number of years. But a quick scan of his record and you’re left feeling underwhelmed, convinced there are omissions from his slate.
In eight years, the Croatian Olympic bronze medalist can only really hang his hat on wins over sizable heavyweights Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce — both of whom have faded since — with an eighth-round TKO loss to Daniel Dubois between those two wins.
Hard-hitting David Adelaye (14-1, 13 KOs) is up next for Hrgović, posing a more athletic yet inexperienced threat. Priced at +350 with oddsmakers, Adeleye is being considered too raw to trouble Hrgović, but his sharp attacks may prove successful in the early stanzas of this fight.
The longer the fight goes on, the more you’d fancy Hrgović to get over the line, as his punishing consistency wears the Briton down. But there’s an argument to suggest the first half of the fight could see plenty of success for Adeleye.
What is next for Andrew Moloney?
Last May, Andrew Moloney (27-4, 17 KOs) stood center ring in Perth, Australia, and announced his retirement from the sport. This emotional decision came following a highly controversial split decision loss to Pedro Guevara for the WBC interim title at super flyweight.
After considering a life away from the sport he loves, Moloney walked back that decision shortly after, plotting a route back to the very top of the 115-pound division. A comeback win over Jakrawut Majungoen seven months later further fueled his hunger and put him in line for a final eliminator against Argi Cortes (27-4, 11 KOs) this summer.
Moloney, 34, headed to Mexico with his team and prepared diligently for what many are considering his last shot at glory. “I couldn’t have prepared better — I feel 24, not 34,” Moloney told Uncrowned last week, when the fight was still scheduled to go ahead.
But days after that conversation, news broke that the fight was off — Moloney was heading back to Australia following a third change to the fight’s details.
First, Zanfer Promotions moved the fight from July 19 to Aug. 9 at the 11th hour. Then it was pushed to Aug. 16. And finally — the straw that broke Team Moloney’s back — was a proposed move to Mexico City, more than 500 miles from the original location of Durango.
It was a case of three strikes and you’re out for Moloney. Whether this fight ever materializes is anyone’s guess, but Moloney’s determination to become a world champion again hasn’t been quelled.
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