Moses Itauma, the new so-called savior of the heavyweights, strutted into York Hall like he owned the joint, racking up another brutal KO win against Dan “Who?” Garber. This kid, Moses, barely out of diapers at 19, is walking around like he’s the next big thing after slicing through Garber like a hot knife through butter.
Itauma, sitting pretty at 8-0 with a handful of KOs to his name, was all geared up for what he calls a “busy year.” Busy doing what? Practicing his shadowboxing? Because from where I was sitting, that’s all he needed to send Garber packing back to Bradford.
Now, Garber – bless his heart – with a record 6-3 (2 KOs) that’s more of a gentle breeze than a storm, stood about as much chance as a snowball in hell. The lad got wobbly knees the second Itauma’s left hand introduced itself, and from there, it was just a countdown to bedtime. The ref, Mark Bates, looked like he wanted to throw in the towel for Garber’s sake, but nah, let’s give the crowd a show, right?
And what a “show” it was – Itauma cornered his helpless oppnent, unleashed a few good ones, and before you know it, Bates is stepping in, calling it quits. It’s Itauma’s fourth KO in a row now, and the big question is, who’s gonna be served up next on this kid’s silver platter?
Itauma has got a spot on the undercard for the Fury vs. Usyk bout in Saudi Arabia, May 18. Oh, I can hardly wait. Who they gonna find this time? Some palooka who thinks he’s got a shot, or another lamb to the slaughter?
In the main event, Ash Lane, this underdog with more ups and downs than a Coney Island rollercoaster, pulls out the performance of his life. We’re talking about a fella who’s been around the block, 18-10-2, with just a trio of KOs to his name. But last night, at the ripe old age of 33, he decides to shake up the bantamweight scene by taking Chris Bourke to school and nabbing both the British and Commonwealth straps.
Lane’s one of those hard-luck stories you can’t help but root for. The guy’s been grinding since who knows when, bagged the Midlands title back in the day, and even after taking a few on the chin, like that rough ride against Brad Foster, he didn’t toss in the towel. Instead, he goes and ices Jordan Purkiss for the English title, setting himself up for another crack at the big time.
And would you believe it? After 13 years in the fight game, Ash “The Bash” Lane is now sitting pretty as the British champ. Talk about a comeback story!
