Confidence comes in many different forms.
Some fighters announce themselves before they enter a room, loudly telling everyone within earshot what they are going to do, how they are going to do it and why nobody can stop them.
Others keep things short, sweet and to the point but leave little doubt as to the level of their own self belief.
Moses Itauma, 9-0 (7 KOs), has developed a nonchalant, matter of fact manner. Whenever Itauma talks about his boxing career, every word is laced with an air of inevitability.
The 19-year-old heavyweight is progressing before our very eyes. Not just physically – although he does seem to become bigger, leaner and quicker with every outing – but mentally. The aura around him grows with every appearance.
Itauma dominated Ilja Mezencev, 25-4 (21 KO’s), stopping the German in two one-sided rounds on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s epic, undisputed heavyweight title winning victory over Tyson Fury.
“I was quite surprised. There was a bit of resistance,” Itauma said after the fight. “I was throwing the jab and it was landing but I wasn’t seeing any emotion behind it. I thought I might be in for a little six or eight rounder. Then that happened in the second round and it didn’t look good did it?”
A clearly apprehensive Mezencev was troubled by Itauma’s speed from the opening bell but the shot that finished the fight was an instinctive, reactionary right hook that took his legs out from underneath him.
“I closed my eyes and threw a punch,” Itauma laughed. “I don’t even know, you know. I’ve caught so many guys like that in sparring but because you’re wearing big gloves and head guards you don’t really feel it. Here, it’s like any little tap or any little tickle and people are doing jelly legs. I wasn’t planning for that shot, I wanted to get a couple of rounds under my belt to be honest.”
Itauma’s manager, Francis Warren, has the hottest prospect in heavyweight boxing on his hands. Part one of his mission to guide Itauma to the heavyweight title has been a success and now that the youngster’s profile is firmly established, the crucial second stage can begin.
Witnessing the lengths Usyk and Fury were willing and able to go to in last night’s main event should hammer home the importance of finding somebody capable of making Itauma’s lungs burn and his arms ache.
Warren mentioned the likes of Marius Wach, Demsey McKean and Justis Huni as possible opponents and Itauma casually tossed out a couple more names.
“I was thinking, ‘If I get asked a question about who’s your next opponent, if I knock him out quicker than Tom Schwarz, I might as well fight Tom Schwarz hadn’t I?’ When I was in the ring I was too happy to even remember what I wanted to say. But yeah, Tom Schwarz?,” he said.
“Come on Solomon [Dacres]. Let me have that English title. Or you can keep the English title, I just want the ranking. I’m mandatory, what’s going on?”
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