Whyte was supposed to rematch Anthony Joshua in 2023 after his knockout defeat in 2015, but that fight was cancelled after Whyte returned a positive drugs test before the fight. He initially had his licence suspended, but it was reinstated after the test result was found to have been caused by a contaminated supplement. Now 37, Whyte is a veteran of the heavyweight game, and he will give Itauma his stiffest challenge to date.