SEVENTEEN-year-old amateur super-heavyweight Enriko Itauma is certainly one to watch. Itโs hard for the precocious talent to get bouts in the UK so heโs had to wait for the Youth European championships, in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 10-22, to finally get the chance to box again.
โI entered the nationals [this year] but everyone pulled out when I entered. I won the Europeans twice already,โ he tells Boxing News. โAlthough I havenโt had many fights I got to share the ring with Joe Joyce, Lawrence Okolie, AJ [Anthony Joshua, in sparring]. Itโs been kind of a blessing in disguise. I havenโt had a lot of fights but Iโve learned a lot from sparring. I was 16 at the time as well.
โNot a lot of people in the heavyweight and cruiserweight division move like how I move,โ he continued. โI learned so much from Okolie, he was my first big step up in sparring.โ
Limited opportunities to box have been a frustration. Heโs achieved a lot, even if he reckons heโs only had about 15 bouts in the past eight years.
โIโm raring to go. I just want to get in the ring as soon as possible,โ he said. โI havenโt boxed for just under two and a half years. Iโd like to get the ring rust off me.โ
After the Europeans heโll be looking at the World Youth championships in November. โThat would be the best thing I would win in the amateurs,โ he added. โThatโs my aim, winning World gold.โ
Enrikoโs older brother Karol Itauma was an Olympic Youth gold medallist in 2018. Heโs now a professional boxer, who is still only 21 and will be out next on Frank Warrenโs March 11 bill at York Hall.
โPeople always talk to me about the Youth Olympics, to me thatโs all done, that was in the past. I live every day as something new, a new start and thatโs my way of keeping me grounded and keeping me always hungry,โ Karol said. โIโve had five fights but to me, Iโm back to square one every time.
โIโm grateful for the opportunities that Iโve been given but the thing thatโs 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. โThe 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 didnโt last long. But thatโs what itโs all about. Itโs all about getting that experience and learning as each fight goes on,โ he said. โThere are going to be times when Iโm going to have to show a different side of me. But thatโs what itโs all about. Just taking them things as they come.โ
The two brothers have trained together for years. โ[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. โI still remember when I was nine years old, I was going running and I would cry. I wanted to stop. He was like, โNo, you never stop, keep going.โ Thatโs what I learned โ always be relentless. Never stop.
โThereโs never a rivalry. We always just push each other on. No one wants to be second best. But thereโs never a rivalry.โ