Moses Itauma

[Master]

I cancelled my own 18th birthday party so I can beat Mike Tyson’s record and become youngest ever heavyweight champ

The wonderboy cancelled his own 18th birthday on Thursday to get a headstart on topping the Baddest Man on the Planet and becoming history’s youngest heavyweight world champion.

The prodigious heavyweight - a three-time European and now World youth champion - chose instead to train alongside light-heavyweight brother Karol, 22.

So SunSport and Francis Warren of Champion Sports Management, who guide the pair, visited with balloons and bunting.

The giant southpaw groaned as he entered trainer Dan Woledge’s Ropes and Glory Chatham gym to the fanfare, where he wants to be far more focused on breaking Mike Tyson’s record of 20 years, four months and 22 days.

But he warmed up when that milestone was mentioned, he told us: “Me and my brother have talked about me breaking that record and just looking at the dates and the maths, it is very doable.

“Karol told me ‘if anyone can do it then you can’ and I believe I can do it.

“The current world champions now are in their thirties and the ones that are coming up, supposedly to replace them, I reckon I can do all of them.”

Tyson Fury, 34, holds the WBC crown and is expected to share an undisputed decider with WBA, IBF and WBO king Oleksandr Usyk, who turns 36 on January 17 in the spring.

Mandatory challengers, former champions and established contenders like Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz will then fight for the titles.

So Itauma, raised in Kent by his Slovakian mum and Nigerian dad, knows exactly the time frame he has to shatter one of Tyson’s most incredible feats.

Already showing plenty of boxing maturity, he said: “It’s not easy to get a world title shot, I can only get in there and fight, so I will not get angry at the things I cannot control.

“20th May, 2025 is the day to do it by and it sounds miles away but it will come around quickly.

“Physically I am still a boy compared to the lot ahead of me so I am working on growing into being a man. I think I will be alright.”

A cruel childhood and the genius of trainer Cus D’Amato turned Mike Tyson from bullied Brooklyn pigeon fancier to undisputed icon and multi-millionaire before he could ever understand it.

Moses is carved out of a different sized stone but has also sacrificed his childhood to become a boxing behemoth.

“I never really celebrated a birthday since I was about 15,” he said with a baritone voice Barry White would have been proud of.

“I was a very big kid, by 14 I was probably about 6ft 4in tall and 17st. I have always felt like an adult since then.

“I haven’t grown too much physically but now I feel like I am maturing, mentality, into being a man.”

Despite his freakish frame, Moses hated bullying and was often the last line of defence at school.

“I was the justice system,” he said. “There were times when I had to bully the bullies because I hated seeing that stuff. I never liked seeing anyone being picked on.”

Big brother Karol led his sibling into their childhood St Mary’s ABC gym when he was 14 and Moses was nine.

At 9-0 in the pro ranks and a veteran of heavyweight undercards featuring the likes of Dubois and Joyce, he might be concerned about his not-so-little bro.

“I haven’t had to protect him since he was about 13,” he laughed.

“There’s no trepidation from me, even as his big brother.

“If anyone is going to beat Mike Tyson’s record it is going to be my brother.

“I know how he ticks inside and at times it is crazy to be a part of it and to witness it unfold.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/20912...n-heavyweight/

[ykdadamaja]

I think the UK is pushing these young lads too quickly. Sure, you want to create the next Lennox or AJ, but let this young man mature. Let him go to the Olympics, win a few world amateur titles.... There is still much for him to learn and do before he becomes a man.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

Rather than going for a knockout in a match, rather than "trying" to break Tyson's record, they should just fight naturally and see what happens. When you look for the knockout or whatever, you get knocked out yourself.

[TIC]

debut tomorrow. weighted in at two forty eight

[Master]

Heard him on the radio and sounds focused on becoming the youngest heavyweight champion.

[TonnnnUK]

Heard him on the radio and sounds focused on becoming the youngest heavyweight champion.

He'll need to get a move on. Tyson was 27-0 when he fought Berbick for the title, 20 months after his debut. He was fighting once or twice a month (3 times in November 85). That's a rapid pace. He wasn't on a televised event until 1986 around 9/10 months after his debut.

Times have changed of course and you don't need to have fought that many times to attain a ranking and get a title shot, but even so, at todays boxer outing pace, even novice prospects these days barely get out 4/5 times a year. Itauma is getting TV coverage from day 1 and a lot of hype of course, so will be moved quickly.

If we take the Anthony Joshua blueprint, he has 8 fights in his first 12 months, then won his IBF title in his 16th fight which took 2 years 6 months, at a time when the division was fragmented and somehow Charles Martin was champion. Things fell into place nicely there.

MAYBE, things could align here for Moses also. In 2/3 years, Fury, Joshua, Joyce and Usyk will likely be retired and the next wave will be there to beat. Who are those guys gonna be?
Dubois, Hrgovic, Yoka, Anderson, Bakole, Sanchez?

[X]

I wonder if he supposes his toeses are all roses …..

[TIC]

wbo number one all without having one meaningful fight

[Master]

Moses Itauma is a very exciting prospect but the media are hyping him up as the next coming. Some commentators are saying he can beat AJ, Dubois and Parker now based on stories they have heard in sparring which is crazy.

There was mention of facing Jermaine Franklin and Martin Bakole later in the year. That is the more sensible upgrade and test for Itauma.

Moses Itauma seems a very humble and confident boxer when he speaks. He should have taken the well trodden route of English, British, Commonwealth, European titles as Lennox Lewis/AJ did.

[Primo Carnera]

wbo number one all without having one meaningful fight

These ranking bodies are making it easier and easier for Turki to take over.
Itauma #1 without fighting anyone, Conor Benn #1 without beating anyone, Pacquiao #5 without fighting for 5 years and 46 years old. Fucking scandalous.
Nobody is bigger on Itauma than me, but let him go through the process gradually learning along the way.
Nowhere near the finished article but an exciting prospect.

[TIC]

[Hard-Ar]

Yo, check it, this was Itauma's first scrap in 5 months, and he’s barely clocked 9 rounds in 2 years, the kid was huffin' hard after round one. He got them quick hands and some real power, no doubt he’s got skills, but we ain't seen his chin get cracked yet or if he can dig deep when it gets real. Time to up the game and see how he rolls with tougher foes

[ykdadamaja]

Put him in with Richard Torrez Jr. lol...

[Spicoli]

wbo number one all without having one meaningful fight

These ranking bodies are making it easier and easier for Turki to take over.
Itauma #1 without fighting anyone, Conor Benn #1 without beating anyone, Pacquiao #5 without fighting for 5 years and 46 years old. Fucking scandalous.
Nobody is bigger on Itauma than me, but let him go through the process gradually learning along the way.
Nowhere near the finished article but an exciting prospect.

The quick track really does detract from a promising fighter all in all, in the big picture. We're seeing more of it. The discussion rightly becomes talent as well as obviously being handed a golden ticket and fast tracked to title. Naturally the scrutiny is there. And they're all hand in hand tbh. Promoters in hand with Turki who made the mass exposure under the Riyadh banner and huge PPV undercards happen a few times now. Simply knocking out exactly who he is supposed to knock out. Not to say the ability isn't there or even grabbing a belt but if we're completely honest that speaks more to the amount of transactional easy fit belts today than it does where a fighter just two years in ranks in top tier ability and talent. Too many in control worry about "breaking Mike Tyson history" than long term best interest and natural development of a fighter. We've seen this movie 101 times unfortunately, coast to coast, and always seems to come back to the heavyweight division mostly. Tremendous promise for Itauma and has all the eagerness but the very first time a fighter in same position is rattled or drawn out 10 rounds some goofballs will come along shouting "exposed and overrated" when it's a guy who should have had the test minus the bright blinding lights and afforded short cuts all along.

[TIC]

Put him in with Richard Torrez Jr. lol...

even the guy richard fought last guido vianello