Moses Itauma: Anthony Joshua’s defeat affected gym like ‘someone had died’

Anthony Joshua’s defeat by Daniel Dubois affected those at the Ben Davison Performance Centre like “someone had died”, according to Moses Itauma.

The 35-year-old Joshua was in September stopped by Dubois in five unexpectedly one-sided and dramatic rounds, at the very least stalling the revival of his career that his trainer Ben Davison was considered to have overseen.

Joshua had impressed under Davison in victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou, and in so doing further enhanced Davison’s reputation at a time when Joshua’s decision to recruit him had already provided a lift to those also at his gym.

The talented Itauma – widely considered among Joshua’s successors towards the very top of the heavyweight division – has perhaps benefitted by observing him while they have used the same facilities, and after his return to the gym in preparation for his fight on December 21 with Demsey McKean found it to be suffering as a consequence of Joshua’s defeat.

Fabio Wardley, another heavyweight, was by then preparing for the rematch with Frazer Clarke in October that he won with Davison in his corner, but the 19-year-old Itauma told BoxingScene: “The first week, the gym was like someone had died. But I’m happy that it’s like that, because if we got back in the gym and [Davison’s] lovey, dovey; happy; cheering, I’d be like, ‘AJ’s just got knocked out and you’re here…’, so I’m happy. 

“The gym vibe – in the middle of pads I went and said, ‘Ben, you’ve gotta liven this up – there’s other people in this gym’. He was like, ‘Yeah, I know, mate, but it’s just…’ – and it’s kind of the energy I want. If that was me, getting knocked out, I don’t really want people to go to the gym and be happy. I want that – not passion – but that commitment from my trainer. If he came to the gym and was all happy, it’d show how much commitment he’s got.”

Itauma had been asked about the criticism of Davison in the aftermath of Dubois-Joshua when he had said so, and he also intriguingly said: “I know a few things, but it’s not my place to speak on it. Ben Davison’s a great trainer, and in time it shall show how good of a trainer he is.

“It’s just typical boxing, though, isn’t it? Even ‘AJ’ – everyone’s calling him ‘X, Y, Z’, because he’s had that one loss. People are forgetting what he’s done for British boxing. Before AJ, the boxing scene was dead, and now he’s revived it. People are always going to talk; they’re always going to have something to say. 

“It’s just doing the best for you and your family and your circle. AJ didn’t really have to take that fight, and like he said, he took a shot at greatness and came up short. 

“With me, with this fight, I’m not deluded. I do believe I’m going to go in there and knock him out, but there’s a possibility that could happen to me. I just train, and hope that that’s not me.”

Itauma in July stopped Mariusz Wach before taking the holiday his manager Francis Warren and his promoter, Francis’ father Frank, had wanted.

In his first 19 months as a professional prizefighter he had fought 10 times, but after travelling to the Paris Olympics, Cyprus and Spain with the satisfaction of knowing that he had recorded 10 victories, he revealed that he became agitated because of his desperation to return to the ring.

“I done everything I wanted to do,” he said ahead of the fight with McKean, of Australia, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “I went to the Olympics; went Cyprus; went Spain a couple of times. Went back home [to Kent, England], to see the family; I went everywhere, pretty much. I did have a good holiday. 

“When I was out in Spain, I was thinking, ‘I can’t wait to get back in the gym – I’m actually tired of this’. So, yeah, I needed it. When I’ve taken a break from boxing, I’ve realised how much I need it. It’s addictive. I just can’t be the one sitting around not doing anything. I have to do something. When I came back from my holiday I was eager to get back into the gym. Enjoying my life’s not really for me, because I don’t really deserve to enjoy it yet. I need to make an impact on boxing first. Not even in boxing – in people’s lives.

“I was calling him out, so when Demsey McKean was like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna give you the fight’, I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s crack on – let’s not waste no time’. 

“It wasn’t just him. I called out Demsey McKean; [David] Adeleye; [Solomon] Dacres. I called out everyone. Obviously McKean said, ‘Yeah, I’ll have a bit of that’, so we’re here now.

“It don’t bother me. At the end of the day I go in there and fight – that’s my job. Making fights happen is not my job. I just leave that down to my team. Maybe they [potential opponents] have got to make their money’s worth.

“Boxing’s my job – I get in the ring and fight. Whatever happens outside the ring, that’s not down to me. Let’s say I fight Johnny Fisher in a year or so. I wouldn’t care about the titles. It’s just me and Johnny, the two English heavyweights, coming up. We have to fight, title or no title. Maybe I am coming up; maybe I’m not. I don’t care. I just want to get in the ring. 

“Maybe I do want [Daniel] Dubois, but not because of his titles – because he’s the heavyweight on the British scene. He’s number one. He’s seen as the best, and I want that. I’m not bothered about the titles, and X, Y, Z, because you’ve got to look at the rankings. 

“Some of these guys, I’m like, ‘How are you ranked?’. I’m not too bothered about the titles. I just want to be the best, really, and I just want to make the best fights happen. Even with Demsey McKean – I’m pretty sure this is for the Commonwealth title. I’m not really too bothered. I just wanted to fight Demsey. That’s just how it is.”