‘Drop the act' – Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte in awkward exchange over SUNGLASSES as pair face off for final time
The 37-year-old Brixton Body Snatcher went face-to-face with his Saturday night Riyadh rival at the final press conference.
4
4
And the freakishly skilled and chilled 20-year-old dared to tell the dangerous veteran that he wanted his designer shades off so he could see the windows to his soul.
As the pair stood just inches apart, Itauma said: 'Take off the glasses and show me those eyes.
'I want to see if they're a sheep's eyes or a wolf's'.
And Whyte, who howls before his ACDC theme-tuned ring walk, warned the Kent starlet that he shouldn't bark if he doesn't want to get bit.
The veteran, who has been tipped to quit if he loses, growled: 'What you got to see my eyes for? Forget all that man.
'Don't try to act like the tough guy, bro, be relaxed.
4
'Just be nice and cool. We can put our hands on each other on Saturday.
'Don't try to act the tough guy when we're being nice.'
Moses Itauma baffled by critics who WANT him to get hit by Dillian Whyte
But fearless Itauma, ahead of just his 13th pro bout, purred back: 'I'm not trying to act the tough guy.'
The 12-0 protege's sheep reference came after he quoted Robert Greene's 2000 international bestseller The 48 Laws of Power, which ruthlessly advises readers how to get to the top.
Itauma, who has addressed those who want to see him get hit on Saturday, said: 'I think there's a rule in The 48 Laws of Power where you play a sheep to catch a wolf.
'I feel like that's what Dillian Whyte's doing. If he is, [or] if he isn't, it doesn't matter. I'm going to bring the heat Saturday night.
'We're heavyweights and a fight can end at any point. I'm not delusional. I know what threat Dillian Whyte poses. I'm not overlooking him. I'm taking this man seriously."
4
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte - all the info
One of the biggest fights of the year has arrived
The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders - he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing's heavyweight division over the next decade.
But the Slovakian-born star - who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer.
The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table.
Watch Itauma vs Whyte LIVE on DAZN
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the fight...
INFO
Start time, TV channel and live stream - all the info
What is the fight purse for huge heavyweight clash?
LATEST NEWS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
5 minutes ago
- Reuters
Wembley, the Fight of the Year and 1 Billion Impressions: How Official Sponsor GG.BET Got Boxing Fans Involved in Usyk vs. Dubois II
LONDON, United Kingdom, August 15, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- On July 19, the long-awaited rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois took place in London. Millions of viewers around the world witnessed the Ukrainian boxer confirm his status as undefeated champion, defending his WBA, WBO, WBC and IBO titles and winning the IBF belt from the British champion. It was a night of 'firsts.' The legendary Wembley Stadium hosted the bout for the title of undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for the first time. It was also the first time in the history of heavyweight title fights that the official sponsor was a bookmaker brand with Ukrainian roots — that is, opens new tab. Read on to find out how an esports bookmaker interacted with a record number of boxing fans and KO'd the stereotypes flat. Content is King—Actually, Champion has long since established itself as a leading esports betting brand that sponsors major esports events and teams. But behind the scenes, as anyone who has ever worked closely with the brand will know, takes on another role - that of a creator, expanding the possibilities of each event and creating maximum immersion in it. As a sponsor, has never limited itself to a logo and a few special offers, but has collaborated with the media to provide commentary and analysis, filmed exclusive content from venues, and created various offline options for fans (press tours, events, autograph sessions, etc.). The brand applies this hybrid and integrated approach not only on the global stage, but also in local markets and, what's more, to sporting events. In 2024 GGBET UA, operating under the brand in Ukraine, sponsored the exclusive broadcasts of both Usyk vs. Fury fights. The two fights together generated more than 70 media publications and around 1 million impressions in the media alone. With the Usyk vs. Dubois II sponsorship, succeeded in making offline experiences part of a comprehensive digital campaign, resulting in more than 1 billion impressions and interaction with boxing fans and customers, who followed the fight worldwide. The 'Big Fight. Real Thrills.' Campaign launched its 'Big Fight. Real Thrills.' campaign, which drummed up interest in the event through special offers and a variety of betting markets, targeted boxing content on YouTube, special features on social media, and much more. On the bookmaker's social media pages, followers could brush up on their boxing history, get a fresh analytical perspective on the boxers' preparation and condition, receive various bonuses, take part in competitions, and watch exclusive live content from Wembley. In total, about 600 content pieces were released on the brand's social media, receiving about 2 million impressions. Special content and shorts about the rematch and significant events in boxing were posted on the UA YouTube channel — — as well as a vlog from London, which garnered more than 250,000 impressions and about 70,000 views. Visual Integration featured in promotional campaigns, key events like weigh-ins and press conferences, and was prominently displayed in the ring. This offline presence helped stay central to the global online conversation, no matter the viewing platform. The logo appeared in fight highlight broadcasts and was featured by The New York Times, The Sun, BBC, ESPN, and was widely shared on social media, generating over 1 billion impressions. Press Tour and Media Interaction Each of the events surrounding the rematch were given comprehensive media coverage. Close collaboration with journalists meant that details of partnership with Queensberry and Ready to Fight, analytical materials and predictions from experts on the eve of the fight, and insights into customers' choices after the fight became an organic feature of the media space. In addition, organized a press tour so that journalists from various publications and channels were able to attend the press conference, weigh-in, and the fight itself, and publish exclusive content and video reports. In total, 398 publications and 10 TV broadcasts mentioning were released during Fight Week, including reports from the largest Ukrainian and European media outlets. Media support generated more than 17 million impressions for the brand. But the best thing of all is that "Big Fight. Real Thrills." are exactly what were had. The dynamic pace of the fight and the unexpectedly quick result after what had been an exciting Fight Week build-up, plus the huge response from fans and users, are what made this sponsorship truly stand out. About is an international betting brand represented in the UK, Ukraine and other European countries, as well as Asia. The betting brand is well-known for supporting major esports events. has served as the official sponsor of top-tier tournaments such as the BLAST Premier CS2 series, Dota 2's The International 2022, and many others. The brand is now expanding its focus into traditional sports and actively supports professional teams and events. For more information, visit opens new tab. ### SOURCE: Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Anthony Joshua would KO Jake Paul with ease but that doesn't make fight dangerous for YouTube star, claims David Haye
DAVID HAYE has revealed the bizarre reason why Jake Paul fighting Anthony Joshua isn't the disaster waiting to happen that boxing fans fear. YouTube prankster-turned-prizefighter Paul and two-time heavyweight champion AJ are in talks for a controversial bout next year. 4 4 That is despite the massive size, skill and experience disparity between the pair. Joshua, 35, brutally knocked out ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, 38, in two rounds of their crossover clash in Riyadh in March 2024. A year earlier, Paul, 28, suffered his first and so far only loss in the ring against Tommy Fury, 26, via split-decision. He has since improved to 12-1 and earned himself a 14th ranked place in the WBA's cruiserweight rankings after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. But moving up to heavyweight to fight AJ - who stands 6ft 6in and 18 STONE - is seen as a dangerous suicide mission amongst almost all fans. But, former cruiserweight and heavyweight champ Haye reckons it will be painless for Paul and over before he even knows it. The HighBet ambassador told SunSport: "I don't think it's dangerous at all! "You don't really get any damage when you get knocked spark out. It doesn't give you brain damage. 4 "Even Ngannou, how much damage did the AJ fight do to Ngannou? And Ngannou is a lot bigger and stronger than Jake Paul. "He just knocked him out, he just turned his lights out once, that was it. Well put him down once, put him down again. Itauma told 'anything other than becoming world champion is a failure' with Brit 'more impressive than Joshua and Fury' "He had maybe a headache the next day, but there was no damage done, so I think it's actually quite a safe fight because it'll be over very, very fast." Paul did fight at heavyweight last November when Mike Tyson came out of retirement at the age of 58 - losing over eight shorter two-minute rounds. The American bulked up to 227lb (16st 2lb) and admitted to struggling to even RUN due to the weight gain. He moved back down to the 200lb cruiserweight limit of 14st 4lb in June when he beat ex-middleweight champ Chavez Jr, 39, over ten rounds. That is FOUR STONE lighter than Joshua - who is yet to return since his KO loss to Daniel Dubois last September. Talks with his promoter Eddie Hearn and Paul's promotional partner Nakisa Bidarian have continued - including a one-hour meeting in person. Hearn has even labelled the negotiations "advanced" and believes Paul is now the frontrunner for AJ's next opponent. The fight is likely to fall in 2026 with America, Britain and Saudi all potential hosts.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Family of college star who wept after being stunned by reporter's question speak out from across the globe
Two days after Archie Wilson broke down in tears during a press conference when asked about being around the globe from his home, his family has broken their silence. On Tuesday, the Nebraska freshman punter went viral after he was overcome with emotion when asked about leaving his family in Australia to chase his football dreams. Wilson arrived in Lincoln over the summer to the gridiron powerhouse, having grown up nearly 10,000 miles away in Frankston South in the state of Victoria. He grew up playing Australian Rules football for Haileybury College before moving to the United States to join the Cornhuskers. Now, his dad, Lee, mother, Jessica, and younger brothers, Oscar and Lewis, have spoken out having seen Wilson's tears play out in front of the world. 'It happened quickly, and it kind of took us all by surprise when we watched it,' Lee said on 9 News Australia. 'The tears started. There was a bit of a family hug, and then we kind of sat and quiet and process it for a little bit.' Archie's dad also revealed a text from his son saying he's okay and to ignore the press conference before it went viral or his family watched it. Naturally, the four still in Australia tuned in straight away. 'I miss him a lot, obviously, seeing all the stuff that goes on in America, knowing that he's over there, we're over here, and we can't really see him as much,' Oscar added of his older brother. Archie has not seen his family since arriving at the Big Ten school, with them set to make the journey to America by the end of August, likely for the Cornhuskers' first game of the season against Cincinnati. When that reunion happens, it'll be the first time they see each other since Wilson became arguably the most famous freshman punter in the country. 'It's a bit crazy, but I spoke to him pretty much as soon as I woke up yesterday morning, he was absolutely fine,' Jessica added. 'You can see at the end of the video, he walks off. He's fine.' 'He just broke down in those few moments, he went on to do another hour of press, and he was actually fine after that. He just they managed to capture that one moment where he got asked about his family, and he clearly misses us, and yeah, couldn't control his emotions.' Lee added the next gap in seeing Archie after their visit to the Midwest later this month may be even longer than two months, due to the rigors of the college football season. Wilson ended up in Nebraska after joining 'Prokick Australia,' a program that has produced dozens of professional football punters. The Australian is already making a name for himself due to his ability to kick with both feet - and throw the ball. 'That guy is special, he truly is,' Cornhuskers special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler said. 'He's 18 years old, leaves home for the first time, goes to a different country, and leaves his family which he's extremely close to... his teammates love him because of the energy he brings in the building, not just because of what he can do with the football.'
