May 15th 2024.
Since the beginning of the year, Tyson Fury has been preparing for his upcoming battle against Oleksandr Usyk. As the two fighters gear up for what could potentially determine the best heavyweight boxer of their generation, Fury has already named his successor to the throne. His name is Moses Itauma, a 19-year-old with explosive talent and potential to become the next big name in British boxing.
Itauma's style has been compared to a teenage Mike Tyson, who dominated the division in the 1980s. With eight wins in his young career, including six first-round knockouts, Itauma has set his sights on breaking Tyson's record of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He will be joining Fury and Usyk on the stacked card in Saudi Arabia this weekend, facing off against German opponent Ilja Mezencev in his ninth professional fight.
This will be Itauma's second fight of the year, as he had previously joined Fury's training camp in February before a cut suffered by Fury pushed the fight back to May. There have been rumors circulating about Itauma's sparring sessions with other top-level boxers, but he dismisses them, stating that stories cannot fight for him. He has already sparred with some of the best in the business, including Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois, Lawrence Okolie, and even Anthony Joshua, when he was still in school uniform.
Although Itauma has received praise from Fury, he remains humble and focused on his goals. He knows that becoming complacent and thinking he is the top dog can be detrimental to his progress. Instead, he approaches each day as a new opportunity to improve and climb the ladder to success.
Itauma's talent and potential have caught the attention of Fury, who brought him in to replicate Usyk's presence in the ring. Itauma has sparred with some of the best in the country, but being invited to Fury's camp for the second time was a whole different experience. He even had the opportunity to sit in on a birthday dinner for one of Fury's close friends and training partners, Isaac Lowe, where he listened to Fury share his wisdom and have a laugh. Itauma is grateful for the chance to learn from someone who has been there and done it all.
When comparing his sparring experiences, Itauma describes working with Fury as a different level, stating that he is on another planet compared to other boxers he has worked with. He also believes that Fury's gas tank and work rate make him a formidable opponent for anyone in the sport. Itauma was one of three chief sparring partners for Fury, along with Canadian Alexis Barriere and South Africa's Kevin Lerena. He also had a session with cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who caused the cut that delayed the fight.
Despite the delay, Itauma is confident that Fury is ready to take on Usyk's masterful skills in the ring. He believes that the closest style to Usyk that he has encountered in sparring is Jai Opetaia, who is also a very technical boxer. With a full training camp under his belt, Itauma is confident that Fury will be able to handle whatever Usyk brings to the ring on fight night.
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