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At just 21 years old, Moses Itauma is rapidly gaining attention in the boxing community as a rising star in the heavyweight division. The British fighter has made a tremendous impact with his ability to finish fights quickly, currently riding a nine-fight knockout streak, with each victory ending within the first two rounds. One of his standout performances came last summer in Saudi Arabia, where he dispatched former contender Dillian Whyte in just 61 seconds. Despite these swift victories, Itauma expresses a desire for more than quick finishes.
Reflecting on his rapid knockout over Whyte, Itauma admits, “It just went so fast,” and confesses that the quick end left him feeling somewhat unfulfilled. Having undergone 14 weeks of intense training camp, he found the fight’s brief duration underwhelming, questioning the necessity of such an extensive preparation for a match that concluded in under two minutes. This weekend, he prepares to face American Jermaine Franklin at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, hoping to experience the challenge of a longer fight.
Itauma’s professional career has been intense but brief, having boxed just 26 rounds to this point, many of which ended prematurely with knockouts. His pro debut in January 2023 at Wembley Arena was a lightning-fast affair when he defeated Marcel Bode in merely 23 seconds. Yet, even that victory failed to provide significant satisfaction, especially given the personal context surrounding that day. He remembers, “My brother suffered his first loss, literally a couple of minutes before. To be honest, I didn’t even want to fight that day.”
Family plays a central role in Itauma’s story. Alongside his two brothers, Moses relocated from Kezmarok, a small town beneath Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains, to Chatham in Kent, England. Their mixed heritage—born to a Slovak mother and Nigerian father—brought challenges, including experiences of racism and feelings of exclusion in their native country. Itauma explains, “Me and my brothers, we don’t look very Slovak, and that kind of limited opportunities that we can have in that country.” His mother believed relocating to the UK would provide better chances for the boys, a sacrifice Itauma deeply respects. He began boxing at nine but committed fully to the sport at 14, driven by the desire to honor his family’s sacrifices. This mindset also influenced his decision to turn professional early by signing with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions rather than pursuing an Olympic career with Team GB, stating, “The short and sweet of it was that my family needed the money.”
Itauma’s path to success hasn’t been without obstacles. In the early stages of his career, he faced setbacks in his third and fourth bouts, going the full six rounds against journeymen Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko and Kevin Nicolas Espindola. These experiences humbled the young fighter and shifted his expectations; he admits that he originally wanted to be a world champion by 20 but realized the need for steady growth. “I kind of hit a barrier where I don’t think I was learning anymore,” he says, emphasizing that those fights taught him to not wait for problems to arise before addressing them. Taking responsibility for his development, Itauma enlisted trainer Ben Davison, and his subsequent knockout streak has elevated his status considerably.
Despite building momentum with notable wins over Demsey McKean and Dillian Whyte, critics argue that Itauma still needs to prove his resilience against top-tier competition. His never-lost record, both amateur and professional, includes very little experience with adversity, as his chin has rarely been tested. The upcoming bout with Jermaine Franklin is poised to answer some lingering questions. Franklin, a 32-year-old from Michigan, is regarded as a durable opponent who has never been stopped and whose losses to elite fighters Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte came only by decision. Itauma points out, “We can agree that Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are big punchers, right?” before adding, “Everybody’s saying that I haven’t seen the distance because I’m such a big puncher, right? So Jermaine Franklin’s about to answer some questions.”
While conversations about world titles loom around him, Itauma maintains a pragmatic approach to his career progression. He acknowledges the significant jump from contender status to world-champion level and is intent on finding the right opponent to bridge this gap rather than rushing into a title fight prematurely. Among those on his radar is Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic, who after recent victories over British fighters Joe Joyce and David Adeleye, may represent the next milestone for Itauma to aspire to
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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