Trimmed-down Whyte weighs lightest in 10 years

BBC News

2 days ago

Moses Itauma v Dillian WhyteVenue: ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Date: Saturday, 16 AugustCoverage: Follow live text commentary and listen on BBC 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and app from 19:30 BST before switching to BBC Radio 5 Live from 22:00.
A trimmed-down Dillian Whyte looked in terrific shape - at his lightest weight in 10 years - for Saturday's heavyweight bout with fellow Briton Moses Itauma in Saudi Arabia.The 37-year-old Londoner tipped the scales at 17st 6½lb (110.9kg), more than a stone lighter than his previous bout."By the grace of God, training has been good and things have worked out," underdog Whyte said. Itauma, 20, weighed in a pound heavier at 17st 7½lb (111.35kg) at Friday's weigh-in in Riyadh. The southpaw from Chatham, Kent, has stopped 10 of his 12 professional opponents and is a heavy favourite to extend his unbeaten record.There was a slightly intense atmosphere after the pair exchanged words during the face-off at Thursday's news conference, where Itauma accused Whyte of "playing a sheep to catch the wolf"."I'm a chilled guy until people mess about with me," Whyte reflected the next day."With me, I don't need to bully or go crazy. I can switch just like that. So relax, bro, we're good. Me and him ain't got no beef. It's business."
Asked what he saw when he looked into Whyte's eyes after the weigh-in, Itauma said: "A wounded animal."Earlier, Liverpool's WBA featherweight world champion Nick Ball weighed exactly on the 9st (57.15kg) limit, with Australian challenger Sam Goodman a pound lighter.Ball, 28, is Britain's only reigning male world champion and holds a record of 22 wins and one draw.
Can Whyte turn back the clock?
Whyte lost his only world title bid to Tyson Fury in 2022 and has struggled for consistency in recent years.Whether he can turn back the clock remains to be seen. He weighed 18st 9lb (118.38kg) during a lacklustre win over Ebenezer Tetteh last December.But eight months on, he appears in the best shape of recent years and wore a grim, serious look as he took to the stage.He is at his lightest since his win over Marcelo Nascimento in 2015.With 31 wins from 34 fights, Whyte insists he still harbours world title ambitions. A defeat by Itauma would all but end those hopes.Itauma has also slimmed down for his toughest test to date, weighing nine pounds lighter than at his previous fight - a destructive second-round stoppage of Mike Balogun in May. A win on Saturday would edge Itauma closer to a world title shot. The Slovakia-born fighter is seen by many as the future face of British heavyweight boxing."I just want to get to the easy bit, the fight," Itauma said.With Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua nearing the twilight of their careers, Itauma has been tipped as their potential successor on the global stage.