Dillian Whyte retirement rumour spreads just days before Moses Itauma fight

The heavyweight veteran returns to the ring this weekend and many feel as if he is entering the twilight stages of his career as he prepares to take on Moses Itauma

Dillian Whyte could hang up the gloves once and for all should be suffer a defeat to rising star Moses Itauma on Saturday night.

It feels as if Whyte’s career is on the line as he prepares to take on Itauma in the ring in Saudi Arabia. Both men are at different stages of their respective careers. Whyte is seemingly edging closer to retirement, while 20-year-old Itauma has been tipped for greatness.

Whyte comes into the clash off the back of a win against Ebenezer Tetteh back in December. As for his opponent, Itauma scored a destructive knockout victory over Mike Balogun in his last outing back in May. At 37, many are wondering how much Whyte has got left to give.

The Brixton native’s former rival, Derek Chisora, has heard that the ‘Body Snatcher’ could retire should he lose to the young heavyweight prospect. Both Whyte and Chisora have gone head-to-head on two separate occasions, with the former winning both encounters, one via knockout and one on points. Despite their rather frosty relationship, Chisora hopes to see his rival roll back the years.

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“I would love to see Dillian win,” Chisora told The Sun. “Because Dillian is from the old school. I love Moses but I have shared the ring with Dillian twice and I’ve sparred so many rounds with him. There’s a young buck who’s coming in the neighbourhood, who’s just smoking everybody, so I would like to see Dillian win it, it would be amazing.”

Chisora went on to add that there have been rumours going around that Whyte could call it a day should he suffer his fourth career defeat in Saudi Arabia. “I would love to see Dillian win it, but it’s a long shot, because Moses is on the right track now,” Chisora added. “And plus, remember, Dillian apparently said if he gets beat, he’s going to retire, that’s the rumour.”

Despite a few retirement rumours floating about, it seems as if the ‘Body Snatcher’ is fully focused on the task at hand is taking preparations very seriously. Ahead of the clash, pictures of the Brit’s current physique emerged. The 37-year-old looked lean and in superb condition. On the Brit’s condition, one fan wrote: “Wow, that’s his best ever condition,” while another commented: “Whyte is is looking lean and mean. He just got to avoid the uppercut, and he could pull of the upset in this fight.” A final fan replied: “Wow he looks unbelievable. Itauma has got to be careful.”

Whyte has admitted he has not stepped on the scales since his fight with Tetteh back in December – but it remains evident that he has been hard at work. “I’ve just been cracking on, man,” he said. “I’ve just been focusing on giving Buddy [McGirt] what he needs, what he wants to see and how he wants to see it.

“I’ve been listening to the team. They’ve been around me a long time, so I’ve learned to just do what they ask, because they probably know me more than I know myself. They’re monitoring me daily, so if they say, ‘Don’t go to the gym today,’ I’m gonna sit down. If they say, ‘Do more,’ I’m gonna do more. But I haven’t stepped on the scales since last December, since my last fight.”

When is Dillian Whyte vs Moses Itauma?

The ‘Esports World Cup Fight Week: Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte’ will take place on Saturday, August 16. The main undercard is due to get underway at around 5:45 pm UK time (12:45 pm ET / 9:45 am PT). The main event ringwalks will likely take place at around 10:20pm UK time (5:20 pm ET / 2:20 pm PT).

All of the action will be streamed live on DAZN Pay Per-View. The event is priced at £19.99 in the United Kingdom, $49.99 in the United States, €19.99 in Europe and $49.95 in Australia.