A young heavyweight in a hurry

TOP class sparring, early finishes and highlight reel moments. So far, heavyweight Moses Itauma has ticked every prospect box when it comes to momentum, activity, keeping good company and creating a buzz with crushing finishes. 

Itauma, 19, was last seen smashing away opponent Ilja Mezencev on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed victory over Tyson Fury. Moses wants to reach that kind of peer group sooner rather than later.

Hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren knows how to strike the fine balance between boundless enthusiasm and keeping the leash just tight enough to avoid unforeseen accidents.

“He’s a man in a hurry and I like to see that in a young fighter but we have to temper that,” cautioned the Queensberry veteran. “Boxing is about timing. It’s about making the right matches at the right time.”

Having the correct team of people around, guiding and nurturing a fighter, while staving off the leeches and lizards of a bloated entourage, is all part of the boxing battle. 

Frank Warren (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Keeping busy under Alan Smith’s guidance, Itauma has moved to a new set-up in Anthony Joshua’s esteemed company.

“Francis, my son, who manages him, has done a brilliant job. Ben Davison is now training him and it’s a good team. So we’ve got to look after him outside the ring and pick the right moments,” Warren told Boxing News.

Some have likened Itauma to a British Mike Tyson due to his style and ambitions. Indeed, Moses has made it known that he has half an eye on Tyson’s longstanding record as the youngest-ever heavyweight champion of the world.

Treating that kind of conviction with the wry smile of a man who has seen and heard it all across decades of watching contenders and pretenders come and go through the non-stop swing doors of boxing, Frank believes one thing is true.

“He’s very capable, there’s no doubt about that, and I think he will be the future of heavyweight boxing.”