Look out for the Itauma brothers

Karol Itauma

SEVENTEEN-year-old amateur super-heavyweight Enriko Itauma is certainly one to watch. Itโ€™s hard for the precocious talent to get bouts in the UK so heโ€™s had to wait for the Youth European championships, in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 10-22, to finally get the chance to box again.

โ€œI entered the nationals [this year] but everyone pulled out when I entered. I won the Europeans twice already,โ€ he tells Boxing News. โ€œAlthough I havenโ€™t had many fights I got to share the ring with Joe Joyce, Lawrence Okolie, AJ [Anthony Joshua, in sparring]. Itโ€™s been kind of a blessing in disguise. I havenโ€™t had a lot of fights but Iโ€™ve learned a lot from sparring. I was 16 at the time as well.

โ€œNot a lot of people in the heavyweight and cruiserweight division move like how I move,โ€ he continued. โ€œI learned so much from Okolie, he was my first big step up in sparring.โ€

Limited opportunities to box have been a frustration. Heโ€™s achieved a lot, even if he reckons heโ€™s only had about 15 bouts in the past eight years.

โ€œIโ€™m raring to go. I just want to get in the ring as soon as possible,โ€ he said. โ€œI havenโ€™t boxed for just under two and a half years. Iโ€™d like to get the ring rust off me.โ€

After the Europeans heโ€™ll be looking at the World Youth championships in November. โ€œThat would be the best thing I would win in the amateurs,โ€ he added. โ€œThatโ€™s my aim, winning World gold.โ€

Enrikoโ€™s older brother Karol Itauma was an Olympic Youth gold medallist in 2018. Heโ€™s now a professional boxer, who is still only 21 and will be out next on Frank Warrenโ€™s March 11 bill at York Hall.

โ€œPeople always talk to me about the Youth Olympics, to me thatโ€™s all done, that was in the past. I live every day as something new, a new start and thatโ€™s my way of keeping me grounded and keeping me always hungry,โ€ Karol said. โ€œIโ€™ve had five fights but to me, Iโ€™m back to square one every time.

โ€œIโ€™m grateful for the opportunities that Iโ€™ve been given but the thing thatโ€™s in front of me is more important.โ€

He last boxed on the undercard of Anthony Yarde vs Lyndon Arthur, a rapid, efficient first round knockout. โ€œThe atmosphere was crazy, a big card. The Copperbox arena is a beautiful arena and to have that many spectators there as well was beautiful. The fight didnโ€™t last long. But thatโ€™s what itโ€™s all about. Itโ€™s all about getting that experience and learning as each fight goes on,โ€ he said. โ€œThere are going to be times when Iโ€™m going to have to show a different side of me. But thatโ€™s what itโ€™s all about. Just taking them things as they come.โ€

The two brothers have trained together for years. โ€œ[Karol] started [boxing] at 14, I started at nine. He started a year before I did. When he won his first national title, I thought I could do this as well. Then two years later I won a national title,โ€ Enriko said. โ€œI still remember when I was nine years old, I was going running and I would cry. I wanted to stop. He was like, โ€˜No, you never stop, keep going.โ€™ Thatโ€™s what I learned โ€“ always be relentless. Never stop.

โ€œThereโ€™s never a rivalry. We always just push each other on. No one wants to be second best. But thereโ€™s never a rivalry.โ€

Share Page