Moses Itauma

[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

[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.