Moses Itauma will not break Mike Tyson’s record, but his pursuit of history is far from over.
The fast-tracked heavyweight phenom still has a narrow window to etch his name into British boxing folklore — and January 24 represents a crucial step towards it. The WBA and WBO number-one contender returns against Jermaine Franklin Jr, the American who went the distance in defeat against both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) celebrated his 21st birthday on December 28, a milestone that ensured Mike Tyson’s long-standing record as boxing’s youngest heavyweight champion remains intact. The former undisputed king achieved the feat aged 20 years, four months and 22 days when he blasted out Trevor Berbick in two rounds to win the WBC title, eclipsing a mark previously held for three decades by Floyd Patterson.
While Tyson’s record is now out of reach, Itauma still has several months to become Britain’s youngest-ever world champion. That distinction is currently held by Prince Naseem Hamed, who captured the WBO featherweight title in September 1995 aged 21 years and seven months after a scintillating performance against Steve Robinson.
Speaking to Sun Sport, Itauma’s promoter Frank Warren believes his fighter can eclipse Hamed’s mark.
“Naz at the moment is the youngest Brit to ever win a world title and I think he can do it. He might bust that record. So we’ll see, but for Moses, he’s ambitious, he knows what he wants, he’s a very smart guy. We’ve just got to make sure that we make the right moves at the right time for him.”
The heavyweight titles are currently split between two men. Recognised number one Oleksandr Usyk holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, while Itauma’s gym-mate Fabio Wardley is the WBO champion, having been elevated to full title-holder following Usyk’s decision to vacate the strap.
Warren is confident Itauma will be challenging for one of the four belts in 2026, provided he comes through Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs).
“He’s no schmuck and with Moses, he’s going to have to step up. He’s only 21 and to start the year the way he’s starting it, it’s in good style. So if he comes through this fight — and I hope he does — I think he’ll be fighting for a world title before the end of the year.”
A Franklin win keeps Itauma firmly on course, the clock still ticking in his favour. History may no longer be within touching distance — but for Britain’s most compelling heavyweight prospect, it remains very much in sight.
