Dillian Whyte has entered into negotiations for a significant British heavyweight encounter against rising star Moses Itauma.
Whyte, a former WBC Interim champion, is reportedly slated to face Itauma on August 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Itauma boasts a flawless professional record of 12 wins with 10 knockouts.
However, for the undefeated 20-year-old, facing Whyte represents a considerable step up. Whyte has notable victories against opponents like Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora, and Oscar Rivas.
Itauma is widely regarded as a phenomenal prospect, having made few missteps in his career so far. He is still very young, particularly for the heavyweight division.
His recent performances have been impressive. In May, he quickly dispatched Mike Balogun, who held a 21-1 record at the time. On the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch, Itauma stopped Demsey McKean, considered a fringe world-level operator, in just one round. Last year, he also impressively defeated the usually durable heavyweight Mariusz Wach.
Whyte serves as another crucial test for the young phenom. The Londoner is a former world title challenger with extensive experience against top fighters in the division.
Whyte previously challenged Tyson Fury for the WBC world title at Wembley Stadium. He also had a memorable British title clash with Anthony Joshua a decade ago and has been involved in exciting battles with Joseph Parker (now the WBO Interim titlist) and Derek Chisora.
After failing a drug test before a planned rematch with Joshua, Whyte was subsequently cleared to return. He did so in Gibraltar last December, securing a win against Ebenezer Tetteh.
Ring Magazine, which is owned by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia`s General Entertainment Authority, has reported on the potential fight. According to their report, the bout between Whyte and Itauma is expected to headline a Riyadh Season card linked to the Esports World Cup, taking place in the city from July 8 to August 24.
The same report also suggests that the undercard could feature Nick Ball defending his WBA featherweight title against Sam Goodman, and a junior lightweight contest between former champions Anthony Cacace and Raymond Ford.
Murray Blackwood