Frank Warren is hopeful that Dillian Whyte doesn’t hang up his gloves after falling to defeat against Moses Itauma.
‘The Bodysnatcher’ looked like a shadow of his former self on Saturday night as he was blasted away inside the opening stanza by Itauma in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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At 37 years and with plenty of miles on the clock, several members of the boxing fraternity have called for Whyte to retire in light of his most recent performance.
However, Warren, who has been tasked with guiding Whyte through the twilight of his career, says he is more than willing to keep working with the British boxing icon if he chooses to continue fighting.
“I hope that [retirement] is not going to be the case for him,” Warren told Pro Boxing Fans post-fight.
“If he carries on, we certainly would be looking at helping him in that way.
“But he’s been involved in some of the great fights in the UK over the years, some great domestic bust-ups.
“He’s been a very good servant to British boxing, and I know he has had his problems over the years, but in the ring, he has delivered.
“And nobody has ever done that to him [like Itauma did].”
Whyte did not address the media after his stoppage loss and will now undergo a period of reflection.
A trilogy fight with Derek Chisora has been spoken about for some time, and would act as a perfect send-off for two of British boxing’s stalwarts.
But until Whyte sits down with his team and makes a decision, his future remains unclear.
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Itauma’s steps seem a lot clearer following his career-best victory.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants the 20-year-old sensation to box undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk next.
However, Itauma’s handlers have pumped the brakes on those plans, insisting that their man needs more rounds before jumping in at the deep end.
“Joseph Parker, [Agit] Kabayel, and [Oleksandr] Usyk are good names, but I know the team want me to get rounds in before I get to those names,” Itauma told Boxing News.
“The boring answer is Jermaine Franklin, only because he will get me some rounds.”
Jermaine Franklin has proven to be a very durable opponent during his 23-2 career, having taken both Whyte and Anthony Joshua the distance.
But he would be perceived as a step down in competition.