Heavyweight Itauma to face Whyte in Saudi

Unbeaten heavyweight Moses Itauma will face fellow Briton Dillian Whyte in Saudi Arabia on 16 August.

The 20-year-old, seen as one of British boxing’s top prospects, has stopped 10 of his 12 opponents since turning professional.

The bout marks a major step up for the Kent fighter, with Whyte, 37, a former world-title challenger and seasoned contender.

In the co-main event in Riyadh, Liverpool’s WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball, 28, defends his belt against Australia’s Sam Goodman.

Slovakia-born Itauma moved to Chatham in Kent at age three. By 16, he was sparring former world champion Lawrence Okolie and caught the attention of promoter Frank Warren.

A powerful southpaw with sharp movement, Itauma was hyped as a future record-breaker – previously tipped to beat Mike Tyson’s mark as the youngest heavyweight champion at 20 years and four months.

In May, he blasted out Mike Balogun in two rounds but will now face, on paper, his biggest test to date.

Whyte, who has won 31 of 34 pro fights, has fought the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury but has struggled for momentum in recent years.

A 2023 rematch with Joshua was scrapped after a failed drug test. He protested his innocence, claimed he was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to action in Ireland March 2024.

Ball will make a third defence of the world title he won against Raymond Ford in June 2024.

The Kirkby-born featherweight extended his record to 22 wins and one draw (13 KOs) with victory over TJ Doheny in March.

Australian challenger Sam Goodman – unbeaten in 20 bouts – was due to face Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue in January but withdrew through injury.

Inoue, the undisputed super-bantamweight champion known as ‘The Monster’, is being tipped as a future opponent for Ball.

Meanwhile, Belfast’s Anthony Cacace – who has lost just once in 24 pro bouts – is enjoying a remarkable run.

He claimed the IBF title with a stunning stoppage of Joe Cordina in May 2024, then defeated Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium in September.