HE will not speak to you, just locked in for Saturday.
That was the response Boxing News got midweek when trying to get a few minutes with Moses Itauma before his ‘world title fight’ against Demsey McKean.
There were no hard feelings, an understandable stance to take before the toughest test of his young career, yet the fact he finished this demolition job inside two minutes adds further mystique to a rapidly-rising prospect celebrating his 20th birthday this coming week.
If the likelihood of breaking Mike Tyson’s record for youngest-ever world heavyweight champion felt a little fanciful at the start of Usyk-Fury 2 fight week, suddenly it feels a tad less so in the aftermath.
Asked when he’d make his first appearance of 2025 and whether a spot on the Feb. 22 card was a possibility, Frank Warren smiled before telling BN: “We’ll go through it with his manager Francis, then him too obviously. I felt it was a good fight coming in and he certainly announced himself here.
“To think Demsey went 12 rounds with [Filip] Hrgovic in a world title final eliminator and what Moses has just done, it’s exciting isn’t it?”
The age-old question returns. Do you fast-track him, knowing how quickly he could box for world honours after one or two more fights? Or take more calculated risks, let him headline UK-based shows and build up those repetitions before the opportunity naturally presents itself.
The biggest problem? He’s only boxed 23 rounds in 11 professional bouts, the bulk coming against seasoned journeymen Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko and Kevin Nicolas Espindola – losing a combined 25 bouts, only one via stoppage.
Itauma’s manager Francis Warren revealed his charge had been dealing with an injured hand after going the six-round distance for the first time on the Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang undercard though after more of the same against an opponent tasked with surviving, his stoppage streak now stands at seven.
One-time world title challenger Mariusz Wach was expected to give him a few rounds and the Polish veteran could consider himself fortunate to emerge from round one with his senses still intact on July 27. It was over shortly afterwards.
McKean hadn’t boxed for over a year, yet still been training with esteemed names like IBF cruiserweight titleholder Jai Opetaia and UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, convincing in the build-up fancying his chances as observers felt Itauma would finally be tested by opposition coming to win.
Instead, you could only wince at the sight of the Aussie southpaw’s right ankle buckling underneath his knee after being dropped a second time by overhand lefts to cap another highlight reel display for the burgeoning 11-0 prospect.
Although Jermaine Franklin had already once rejected an approach to box Itauma this year, former IBF world champion Charles Martin (30-4-1, 27 KOs) was named as a possibility, the 38-year-old southpaw giving then-unbeaten talent Jared Anderson all he could handle over 10 rounds last summer.
Itauma didn’t flinch when a fight against McKean’s last opponent Hrgovic (#7 IBF, #12 WBC) was floated – later telling reporters he’s aiming higher than a Derek Chisora or Otto Wallin next, with those two set to box on February 8.
