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Heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma is seen as the UK’s next world champion by some fans. They’re impressed by the knockouts the fringe contender is scoring, but he hasn’t fought anyone yet to prove he’s for real.
His promoter is carefully matching him as he should be, but fans could be disappointed when Itauma finally faces someone with real talent.
Itauma, 20, promoted by Frank Warren (11-0, 9 KOs), knocked out official Demsey McKean in the first round last week in Riyadh and has his British fans excited about his potential. He initially dropped McKean with a left to the back of the head and dropped him again.
The next big thing?
Some boxing fans have been talking about Itauma breaking Mike Tyson’s record of becoming the fastest heavyweight champion of the world. This is NOT happening. Itauma CANNOT beat Mike Tyson’s record unless he gets a world title in the next four months. Mike Tyson was 20 and four months old when he captured his first world title, stopping WBC champion Trevor Berbick in the second round on November 22, 1986.
It would be a bad idea to put Moses Itauma with heavyweight champions Daniel Dubois or Oleksandr Usyk. He would probably be exposed, as would his brother, Karol Itauma.
It is still too early to tell if Itauma will do well because he has yet to fight a world class heavyweight and he is not 6’2″. Itauma’s brother Karol also looked good initially, but when he faced a decent light heavyweight, Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna, he was knocked out in the fifth round.
All fighters look good initially when facing the type of opposition that Moses has been fighting.
Drinking the Kool-Aid
“They see this kid is going to be the next big heavyweight to come out of England, and maybe they’re right,” Teddy Atlas told his channeltalking about 19-year-old Moses Itauma. “Ben Davison is the trainer. He’s the same one who trains (Anthony) Joshua and he’s doing a good job with him.
“His talent is inescapable. He doesn’t look like a guy who’s a big puncher until he hits you. He (Itauma) has a chance to break Mike Tyson’s record to become the youngest heavyweight of all time. He’s only 11-0 though.”
Itauma is a decent contender, but I don’t see him winning a world title unless he goes the route of Kubrat Pulev and Mahmoud Charr capturing the WBA “regular” heavyweight strap. It doesn’t take much talent to win this belt. As long as Usyk and Dubois are around, Itauma won’t win any of the prestigious belts.
If some of the other contenders like Agit Kabaiel or Martin Bakole get a world title, I don’t see him winning any of those. Itauma is a good core contender, but NOT the next British Heavyweight Champion. He will not replace Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua as the next star in the UK.
“He has a great promoter, Frank Warren,” Atlas said of Itauma. “He has the talent, but he doesn’t have the experience to fight against Usyk or Dubois.
Has speed to go with it (power). He is calm, confident and his technique is solid. They have done a good job with him. You have to have good technique if you want to be talented. He showed me he was smart,” Atlas said.
