British heavyweight Moses Itauma lived up to the hype on Saturday night after knocking out Dillian Whyte in the first round.
Itauma improved his perfect record to 13-0 courtesy of his ninth successive stoppage victory.
Whyte, who has shared the ring with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora and Tyson Fury, was blown away in a matter of minutes by his younger rival.
Itauma is seen as the future of the heavyweight division, with the 20-year-old winning 11 of his first 13 pro fights by stoppage.
The youngster claimed the vacant Commonwealth title thanks to his win over Whyte – a fight that was meant to be his toughest test yet.
Comparisons to Mike Tyson
Itauma has a long way to go in his professional career, though people in the sport have already compared him to some of the greats.
David Haye, for instance, likened Itauma’s explosive knockout power to that of Mike Tyson.
He recently told DAZN: “I can only liken it to a young Mike Tyson – similar sort of age, similar sort of knockout energy. It’s going to be fun on this journey.”
Former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton made the same comparison.
He told talkSPORT: “He’s a little bit bigger than Mike Tyson, but he’s a better mover than Tyson… he moves better than him… he’s got maybe the fastest hands in heavyweight boxing since Mike Tyson.”
Is Tyson Fury scared of Itauma?
Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made it crystal clear he doesn’t want to fight the upcoming prospect.
When asked whether he would face the 20-year-old in a farewell fight, Fury responded with a light-hearted comment, saying: “Do you think I’m stupid? No, no no…”
Whether it was a joke or not, Itauma is undoubtedly one of the fastest rising heavyweight boxers on the planet.
Following his latest win, the question now turns to what – or in this case, who – will step up to challenge the youngster.
READ MORE: JAKE PAUL MAKES SAVAGE DIG AT UFC’S NEW $8BN DEAL WITH PARAMOUNT
