It’s been said and written about Moses Itauma before, and I’ll say it and write it again here – the toughest job pertaining to his boxing career could well be getting him suitable learning fights that propel him to the next level, to the elite level. And rest assured, unless some seismic shift in the boxing universe takes place, the elite level is where the soon to turn 20 year old Itauma is going. And fast.
How fast, well, that will depend. Can Frank Warren get his heavyweight phenomenon the good-work fights, the learning fights? You can bet your bottom dollar, there are plenty of good fighters, top 20 guys or higher, who are right now cheerfully avoiding Itauma, with some of them asking for huge money to fight him, huge money they pretty much know they will not get paid.
Southpaw Itauma made mincemeat out of the tough and durable, once beaten Demsey McKean last time out, and there is a very real temptation to put Itauma in a big fight sooner rather than later. Yes, the 19 year old needs rounds, he needs experience, but with all the tools Itauma has at his disposal – speed, accuracy, crunching punching power, magnificent self-confidence, a high ring IQ, a fine amateur background, and a level of maturity, mostly of the mental side, ahead of his years – it must be massively tempting for his team to move him up ASAP.
So many experts feel very strongly that Itauma is not only a future champion, but the future of the heavyweight division. Could Itauma beat a top five guy right now? Could Itauma beat a Daniel Dubois, or an Anthony Joshua, right now? Some readers may feel such a question is disrespectful towards Joshua and his recent conqueror Dubois. Maybe. But as special as Itauma is, and taking into account how quickly some fighters are moved these days, even into world title fights (David Nyika, for example, challenging cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia in January, this at just 10-0), well, such questions do pop in there.
Just who Itauma, 11-0(9) gets to share a ring with him next will prove very interesting. There has been talk of a Joe Joyce, a Fabio Wardley, a Jermain Franklin, or a Martin Bakole fight. These guys are not current top 5 heavies, but they are all good, experienced fighters who should, on paper, test Itauma hard. But it’s on canvas that fighters fight, not on paper, and Itauma has shown a tendency to tear up the paper some pre-fight predictions have been written on anyway.
There is plenty if talk also of Itauma breaking Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest heavyweight champ ever. Tyson did at at 20 years and five months, so that leaves Itauma just five months in which to make history. But as special as he is, as immensely gifted as he is, maybe Itauma can do it. Be honest, who would you be picking if it was Itauma fighting Dubois on February 22, not Joseph Parker? But even if Itauma were to defeat a Dubois, or any other major title holder, there would be no going back. As Jim Jacobs said when talking about Tyson’s rapid progress, once a fighter becomes a champion it’s all elite level fights from then on in, there is no going backwards.
Is Moses Itauma ready to be allowed to step up and face the elite heavyweights, those that are actually willing to face him, that is? To coin a phrase, is Itauma ready to be let out of the cage, or off the leash?
What odds Itauma holds a world title less than a year from now? That Tyson record may well stand, but the future really does seem to be Itauma’s.
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