How great can Moses Itauma go on to become? It’s a question plenty of people are asking, what with the 20 year old heavyweight sensational looking, well, sensational. There is even talk of Itauma, at just 13-0(11), challenging Oleksandr Usyk for the world title this year. Some experts say this is crazy, as it would be far too soon for the southpaw. While others do feel Itauma, as special as he is, might be able to match wits and skills with Usyk.
As far as gaining much-needed experience and rounds, Itauma is looking at fights with the likes of Jermain Franklin and Filip Hrgovic. But another fight that would prove interesting, is one between Itauma and Lawrence Okolie. The two have shared a ring in sparring, and after watching Itauma wipe out Dillian Whyte in a round, “The Sauce” said he’d “100 percent” fight Itauma – and the former cruiserweight and bridgerweight champion said right now is the best time any fighter has of beating Itauma, this before he enters the ring being “gifted and experienced.”
Can Okolie ‘old man’ the 20-year phenom before he peaks?
Speaking with UK Boxing News, Okolie, who is 2-0(1) as a heavyweight, said the best chance to defeat Itauma would be to ‘old man’ him in a fight.
“If there was a time (for me to fight Itauma) then it would be sooner rather than later with someone like Moses,” Okolie said. “The fact is, he has been gifted since he was young, but what you don’t want to do is get [in the ring with] someone who is gifted AND experienced. By the time he is 25, he’s going to be unbelievable. If there is a time to sneak in and ‘old man’ him, it is now.”
If not Franklin or Hrgovic, who really tests him next?
A fight between Itauma and Okolie would certainly be an interesting matchup, but again, there are other names in the mix as far as who fights the so-called future of the heavyweight division next. Will it be Franklin, Hrgovic, Okolie, or someone else for Itauma and his next step towards greatness?
As quickly as he got the job done against Whyte, without taking a single punch, Itauma could fight again this weekend!
