That experience has not persuaded Whyte to automatically back Itauma in a potential fight with Joshua.

“My first answer would be no, [Itauma doesn’t beat Anthony Joshua], but I think we have to wait and see what AJ has left, how he is mentally, if he has recovered from the stuff that he has been through lately, and how much ambition he has left to fight,” said Whyte to iFL TV.

“Obviously, he has made some changes. He has gone to Usyk trying to look for something different, so let’s see if that gels and if it works out for him, we will have to see.

“AJ, sometimes, he moves mad, one minute he is on it and one minute he is not, so let’s see,” Whyte told iFL TV.

The comments arrive as Itauma continues his rapid climb toward a world title fight. The Queensberry heavyweight is expected to return on August 8, with Filip Hrgovic still viewed as the leading candidate for his next opponent.

Joshua, meanwhile, returns on July 25 against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia. The former two-time heavyweight champion is attempting to rebuild after a difficult period in his career and remains on course for a proposed showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.

Whyte’s view was clear. Itauma’s talent is obvious, but he believes the answer depends less on the young contender and more on how much Joshua still has left.