Moses Itauma Details Awkward Fan Run-In Ahead of Dillian Whyte Clash

Rising heavyweight Moses Itauma says the hardest hit he’s taken all camp didn’t come from sparring — it came on a crowded train. Days out from his high-stakes clash with Dillian Whyte in Riyadh, the 20-year-old detailed an uncomfortable fan encounter on public transport that left him rethinking how he travels on fight week.

Itauma explained recently while speaking to The Sun that, early in his career, he’d grind through a punishing commute from Kent to Ben Davison’s gym in Harlow — a three-hour round trip that often stalled at the Dartford Crossing. When the M25 turned into a parking lot, he’d ditch the car and jump on the train or Underground just to make it to sessions. These days, he rents a local house for 16-week camps to avoid the gridlock and unpredictable rail chaos.

Still, old habits die hard. On one recent ride, a fan sat down and quietly bargained for a selfie — promising not to “out” him to the carriage — before another passenger chimed in that everyone knew who he was and was just trying to give him space. Itauma obliged the photo and even signed the fan’s phone, but admitted the exchange made him uncomfortable. He loves meeting supporters and says he’s never turned down a picture, yet he hopes for a touch more tact: there’s a time and a place, especially days before a career-defining fight.

Tomorrow night, Itauma steps in with Whyte — 17 years his senior — and shows no nerves about the veteran’s trademark left hook. Commuter-train surprises? Different story.

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This is the reality of a fast-rising prospect: the schedule tightens, the spotlight widens, and the commute turns into a meet-and-greet. Itauma moving into a camp house signals a maturing operation — fewer variables, more control. The fan moment is a reminder that the mental game is live long before the first bell; boundaries matter, especially for a 20-year-old navigating sudden visibility. Inside the ropes, the matchup is classic youth vs. experience. Itauma’s advantages are legs and tempo; if he keeps range, picks his entries, and doesn’t admire his work after the jab–right, he can stay clear of Whyte’s counter left hook. For Whyte, forcing set-points along the ropes and trading off the break is the path. If Itauma turns this into a disciplined, three-phase fight (first beat the jab, then score downstairs, then layer the exits), he can make the age gap look like a canyon.