Moses Itauma’s coach, Ben Davison, is already looking past Dillian Whyte, targeting a fight for Itauma against undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next.
Davison believes the 20-year-old Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) will be ready after he adds the journeyman Whyte’s “scalp” to his collection in their headliner on DAZN PPV this Saturday, August 16th, in Riyadh.
Why Whyte Is a Fake Scalp
“It’s a great scalp for him. It’s a great test for him, and we’re confident that he’ll be able to come through,” said trainer Ben Davison to DAZN Boxing, talking about Moses Itauma going into his fight against Dillian Whyte on Saturday.
I wouldn’t characterize Whyte as a “great scalp” for Moses Itauma now, as he’s already been knocked out by Tyson Fury and Alexnandr Povetkin. Moreover, Dillian looked awful in his last fight against the 261-lb journeyman Ebenezer Tetteh last December. That contest was a real struggle for Whyte before he finally got to Tetten in the seventh round.
It would have been a “great scalp” for Itauma if he’d fought Whyte in the prime of his career in 2018, when he was 26, but not now. Of course, if Dillian were still in his prime, Queensberry wouldn’t let anyone near Itauma. He’d ruin things for them by plunking the golden goose before they laid the 24k eggs.
“He’s so strong. People underestimate. I know he’s a kid, but he’s not far from it,” said Ben about Itauma. “His ability to process is second to none, which is rare at any weight, but at heavyweight, it’s exceptional. There’s never a session where I say, ‘I want you to do this,’ where he doesn’t try to do that.”
What is Ben talking about? No one is underestimating the punching power of Itauma. What they’re noting is that he’s being matched against exclusively faded past their prime fighters and journeymen-level opposition.
Itauma’s Record of Aging Opponents
- Dillian Whyte: 37
- Mike Balogun: 41
- Mariusz Wach: 45
- Demsey McKean: 34
- Dan Garber: 40
- Istvan Bernath: 36
Ben Davison’s Usyk Payday
“There’s not a fight where I think, ‘I don’t like that,’” said Davison when asked where he sees Itauma going if he looks exceptional on Saturday beating Whyte. “I just think it’s a win-win. You’re getting the chance to fight the best of a generation, if not the best ever, at the welterweight class,” said Ben when asked if he would be open to Itauma fighting unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next.
Well, of course, Davison is on board with Itauma being rushed into a fight with Usyk in his next contest. He’d get a massive payday before Oleksandr hangs up his gloves. Even if Itauma is soundly beaten, he’d get a ton of money, and would have the built-in excuse that he’s only 20, lacking experience and fighting a generational great.
There is no downside for Itauma in a fight against Usyk. So, it’s not surprising that Ben is all for the idea of Moses skipping the step-up fights needed to fight Usyk, and just going straight into the bout in a sink-or-swim manner.
“I truly think Usyk has never shared the ring with someone like Moses,” said Davison.
It’s hard to take Ben seriously with that comment because he knows Usyk has fought opposition with a similar potshot style that Moses Itauma uses. It’s a simplistic style that Usyk has obviously seen many times in the amateurs.
Itauma’s fighting style
- Load up on a left-hand
- Retreat with a three-foot step back
- Stop and throw
- Clinch
Why Itauma’s Right Hand Is Vestigial
Itauma does the same thing repeatedly. He only has a left hand in his arsenal. His right is like a vestigial feature, similar to the arms of the extinct T. rex dinosaur. Itauma never developed his right hand; hence, it’s rarely used, and when it is, it’s for jabbing to set up his primary weapon, the left.
Last Updated on 08/13/2025
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