Moses Itauma has folks questioning whether or not he’ll break Mike Tyson’s file of turning into the youngest heavyweight world champion. The perimeter contender Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) not too long ago turned 20 on December twenty eighth, that means he’s received 4 months to interrupt Tyson’s file.
Itauma stopped 34-year-old Dempsey McKean (22-2, 14 KOs) within the second spherical on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 in Riyadh. The occasion was proven on DAZN PPV.
Chasing Tyson
Tyson was 20 years and 4 months previous when he knocked out WBC heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick within the second spherical on November 22, 1986. That was ‘Iron’ Mike’s twenty eighth skilled struggle, and he’s been going through higher opposition than Itauma. That’s one huge distinction.
The one semi-notable opponents Itauma has confronted are 45-year-old Mariuz Wach and Demsey McKean. Earlier than his match in opposition to Itauma, Wach had misplaced eight out of his earlier 12 fights. McKean had been inactive for 16 months and was coming off a 12-hour-round knockout defeat in opposition to Filip Hrgovic.
Itauma has been matched VERY rigorously, similar to his brother, Karol Itauma, earlier than he was in the end knocked out when he was matched in opposition to a good opponent.
Promoter Frank Warren mentioned he needs Itauma to win a portion of one of many heavyweight titles in 2025. He’ll both go after WBA ‘common’ champion Kubrat Pulev or an interim belt. Joseph Parker holds the WBO interim title. Nonetheless, Warren is unlikely to place Itauma in with him this yr due to the excessive chance of his shedding.
Even 43-year-old Pulev is likely to be an excessive amount of for Itauma as a result of the Bulgarian nonetheless has very spectacular technical abilities that may’t be ready for in a single camp.
The Brother’s Shadow
Itauma is an efficient fundamental slugger, however he has zero expertise in opposition to something remotely resembling a first-tier-level fighter. If he will get thrown with a shark-like Parker or Oleksandr Usyk, he’ll get outboxed and sure knocked out, similar to his brother, Karol Itauma, was when he was matched in opposition to 2008 Olympian Ezequiel Maderna in 2023.
Earlier than that struggle, everybody was raving about Karol, however he was utterly out of his depth when put in with Maderna. These days, you by no means hear about Karol anymore. The identical may occur to Moses Itauma if he’s put in with a very good heavyweight.
“That’s a good analogy,” mentioned promoter Frank Warren to BoxNation when informed by the interviewer that he hadn’t seen anybody like Moses Itauma since Mike Tyson first began his profession. “I fancied him to win the struggle [Demsey McKean], however I assumed he was going to get some rounds like within the earlier struggle [45-year-old Mariusz Wach].
“The ability is unbelievable, and the way relaxed he’s when throwing his punches. He’s received a fantastic jab, received a very good boxing mind, and he accomplished a job in a giant method [knocking out McKean in round one]. Though the fights didn’t final that lengthy, he regarded the extra composed out of all of them.
“He’s received an excellent head on his shoulders and a fantastic workforce round him. He can struggle. There’s little question about that. He actually may do no matter he needs to do,” mentioned Warren when requested what Moses Itauma can do in 2025.
Let’s put issues in perspective a little bit bit. McKean had been out of the ring for 16 months and was coming off a knockout loss to Hrgovic. Earlier than that, McKean had by no means overwhelmed anybody notable throughout his 10-year profession. All of his wins have come in opposition to non-world-class opponents.
“No, I don’t wish to throw him, particularly with a younger fighter, throwing them within the deep finish. I consider whoever he fights, whoever it’s, and the extent they’re, he provides them a large downside,” mentioned Warren.
“I wish to see him win a model of the [heavyweight] title, and I wish to see a giant home bust-up down the highway, perhaps between Daniel [Dubois] and him and whoever is standing. Yeah, all these guys. All these fights are there to be made. It’s so thrilling.
“The mixtures of various fights that may be made. It’s simply bloody sensible,” mentioned Warren about potential fights that may very well be made involving Itauma.
Will Moses Itauma be a World Champion by the tip of 2025? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/oN0zasEkIj
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 3, 2025
