The hype truly appears to be real – Moses Itauma is the most exciting young heavyweight on the planet.
The 19-year-old Kent prodigy is already spoken of in reverential tones by some of the biggest names in the sport – his promoter Frank Warren and stablemate Tyson Fury among them.
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Itauma boasts an 11-0 pro record and has already impressed in sparring world champions, and Warren firmly believes he will be the next big thing in the heavyweight division.
One man who saw the Itauma story close up and personal was former National Performance Coach for England Boxing John Stubbs, who was a key part of his development. He remembers the moment when the brilliance in front of his eyes really became crystal clear.
When Itauma potential became clear
“I truly believe the hype is real. I think it was 2016 or 2017 there was a Schoolboy European Championships and I think he boxed three times to win it. It will have been under 80kg at the time, which was the heaviest weight for juniors.
“I think he beat the Russian, the German and the Ukrainian to win Gold and I remember just thinking when he won the final “F*** hell, what a superstar”. There were loads of parents watching and I was actually in the crowd as I had finished my coaching duties for that day and I just turned to some of the parents next to me and said, “You’ve just seen a star being born here”. I honestly believe that since he was 12 years old he has been destined for greatness.
“I know that might sound like I am over-egging him but I genuinely believe that if he stays fit, stays on it and maintains the current mind-set he has he will be an absolute superstar. I do not even think his performances so far as a pro have shown what he can really do. I think we have seen only about 75% of what he is capable of.”
