Dillian Whyte has labelled himself an old wolf with sharp teeth going into his make-or-break fight with rising phenom Moses Itauma.
Sharing the ring with someone 17 years his junior, Whyte has likened himself to Carl Thompson after Thompson shocked fans and onlookers when, at the age of 40, he stopped a rising star and knockout artist in David Haye.
Whyte hopes to do to Itauma what Thompson did to Haye, and, judging by recent footage, looks in the best shape possible to do it.
‘The Bodysnatcher’s’ coach has also spoken positively of his fighter in the build-up to the clash, revealing exactly what Whyte will bring to the ring against the 20-year-old.
Dillian Whyte’s coach hints at his game plan against Moses Itauma
Since his loss to Tyson Fury in 2022, Whyte has trained alongside Buddy McGirt.
McGirt, who claimed he has never seen Itauma fight, spoke to TalkSport recently on the game plan going into the most important contest of ‘The Bodysnatcher’s’ career.
McGirt predicted the fight would be “all about bullets and gun-smoke, nuts and guts.”
The American trainer did elaborate, suggesting the plan is for Whyte to drag Itauma into the later rounds: “If you try to go out there and blast him out, you’re playing into his hands because he’s young, he’s fast, and he can punch. Sometimes you gotta walk ’em down.”
Whyte is now 31-3, having lost to Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Alexander Povetkin, and hopes to add a 32nd win as he prepares to assume the role of a banana skin in the career of Itauma.
Dillian Whyte’s trainer explains viral water bottle incident
For years now, there has been a viral video of Whyte that resurfaces year after year, in which the Brit is drinking from a water bottle held by Mark Tibbs.
Tibbs, whose attention is elsewhere in the clip, continues to pour water into Whyte’s mouth until The Bodysnatcher bats him away as if he’s drowning.
Only now has Tibbs told The Ring the story of what really happened that day:
“It wasn’t like our security, who guard our corners and our cornerman. A normal guy has come into our corner and is talking to Dillian, having a conversation with Dillian like Dillian was a cartoon character. I’m giving him water, and I’m looking at [another cornerman] and going ‘Get hold of him!’.”
This happened during Whyte’s fight with Mariusz Wach, a fight in which Whyte turned up at a career-heaviest weight of 271 pounds.
Wach is the only common opponent of Whyte and Itauma. Whilst Whyte took Wach to a 12-round decision, Itauma stopped him in two rounds in his 10th fight.