Moses Itauma is still only 20 years old, but you would not know it – this is one very smart young boxer.
Not only is the 12-0 phenom from Chatham in Kent the most exciting thing in the sport’s heavyweight division right now, he’s also mature beyond his years.
‘Enriko’ has been widely praised for his ring IQ inside the ropes, and clearly it’s matched by his smarts outside as well judging by his latest interview with talkSPORT.
READ MORE: Incredible Moses Itauma sparring story revealed by top boxing agent
Itauma, who will step up in class against Dillian Whyte in Riyadh next Saturday night (August 16), was asked about the critics who maintain that he has not had his chin tested as yet. His response, was absolute genius.
Itauma chins the critics
“It’s not tested, I agree. But the best chins are the ones that don’t get tested. I don’t really understand this new concept of boxing where you need to get hit on the chin to see if you’re a good boxer, I’ve never understood that. The aim of boxing is to hit and not get hit.
“So why am I getting the blame because I don’t get hit – it don’t make no sense to me. If I go my whole career and I don’t get punched one time, people are gonna be like ‘he can’t be a great because he never got hit’.
“So listen my chin is not tested under the bright lights obviously, I’ve sparred many rounds, sparring is different, there’s only one way to find out.”
Itauma also talked about the way speak about him, touching on a point that trainer Ben Davison made earlier this week. They expect him to blast out big names like Whyte, but then maintain he is not ready for the likes of current heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk. Go figure…
Moses on strange contradictions
“I just don’t really understand, I don’t know if it’s boxing fans or if it’s just people in general, when it comes to my career everybody, it’s like thinks I’m gonna blast Dillian Whyte out of the waters. But then no other heavyweight thinks like that.
“People didn’t think Tyson Fury was gonna blast Dillian Whyte out the waters, people don’t think Joseph Parker is gonna blast Dillian Whyte out. But then they think I will be able to do it, but they don’t think I’ll be ready for Joseph Parker or Usyk.
“I’m not really worrying about what people are saying, just doing my job.”
Itauma is ranked number 1 by the WBO (World Boxing Organization) heading into the Whyte showdown, with only champion Usyk and mandatory contender Parker above him. Those two have been ordered to fight, but there is a chance Usyk vacates the title to pursue a different opponent.
If that happens then Itauma could be getting that eagerly-awaited world heavyweight title shot much sooner than expected.
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