Moses Itauma says Dillian Whyte told him to “Drop the tough guy talk” on Thursday when he asked him to take off his sunglasses so he could identify if he were a “wolf or a sheep” by looking into his eyes.
Whyte’s Lack of Confidence
For some reason, the 37-year-old Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) chose to keep his sunglasses off during their face-off. That’s not a good sign that Dillian wanted to hide his eyes, because that’s an indication that he didn’t want the 20-year-old Itauma to read his face, see his fear, or recognize that he lacked self-confidence.
In hindsight, Whyte should have recognized how he would be perceived by choosing to keep his sunglasses on for this critical face-off with Moses. It’s already bad enough that Whyte is a big underdog and is being counted out by fans. But wearing sunglasses showed that he doesn’t believe in himself, and Itauma saw that as anyone would. How could Dillian not understand that going in?
Moses’s Psychological Advantage
“I was like, ‘Take your glasses off. Let me see if it’s a wolf or a sheep.’ He was like, ‘Drop that tough guy talk.’ I was like, ‘I’m not trying to be no tough guy. I just want to see what’s in your eyes.’ He was like, ‘Why do you want to see my eyes?'” said Moses Itauma to Queensberry, discussing his verbal exchange with Dillian Whyte during their face-off at the final press conference last Thursday.
Iauma vs. Whyte will headline a 12-round heavyweight contender this Saturday, August 16th, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will be shown live on DAZN PPV for $49.99 in the U.S and £19.99 in the UK.
“Drop the 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐠𝐮𝐲 talk” 😳
Moses Itauma explains what @DillianWhyte said to him during the face off 🍿🔥#WhyteItauma | Aug 16th | @ringmagazine | #RiyadhSeason | Live Exclusively on @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/wjt18ZELhe
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) August 15, 2025