Moses Itauma, the undefeated British heavyweight prospect, will fight Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF world title on 29 August in London, with the 21-year-old aiming to become the second-youngest champion in heavyweight history after Mike Tyson. Itauma, who initially showed little reaction to the title upgrade, insists his focus remains on Hrgovic, a formidable Croatian with only one loss.
Chance to Make History
If Itauma wins, he will trail only Tyson, who captured the WBC belt at 20 years and four months by stopping Trevor Berbick in November 1986. Tyson's brutal second-round knockout left Berbick staggering across the ring before collapsing. Itauma has watched that iconic fight but stresses he is building his own legacy. "I tried to set up a goal to become the youngest heavyweight world champion. I didn't achieve it, but I landed a fight with Dillian Whyte [whom he knocked out in under two minutes last August]. So it's step by step," he said.
Praise from Teddy Atlas
In his last outing, Itauma stopped Jermaine Franklin in five rounds, becoming the first to do so. Renowned trainer Teddy Atlas, who once worked with Tyson, lavished praise on Itauma, calling him the first heavyweight to match Tyson's speed and power combination but with more versatility. "He can box, he can set traps, he can counterpunch. He can fight inside. He's got good intellect and technique," Atlas said. Itauma, surprised by the comparison, quipped that Atlas may be biased against Tyson, recalling their past conflict, but he appreciated the compliment.
Authenticity Over Braggadocio
Despite rising fame, Itauma remains grounded. "I just try to be authentic when I'm on camera and it seems like I'm putting on entertaining fights," he said. "But I'm not braggadocious. I'm not swaggerdocious. I don't do anything extraordinary outside the ring." He acknowledged the pressure of media attention, noting he initially didn't want the spotlight but now accepts it as part of his path.
Warning to Himself
Itauma is aware of the stakes. "If I don't get past Hrgovic, there ain't gonna be no stadium fights or nothing," he warned. He respects Hrgovic's abilities, noting his only defeat came via a cut against Daniel Dubois. "Shit, I'm in for a long night. But I'll be all right," he added. When asked about winning on points, Itauma bristled: "Nobody comes to watch heavyweights to see two guys go to points. If you're watching the heavyweight division, you want to see some knockouts."
