Shakur Stevenson reacts to Moses Itauma praise, eyes study of rising heavyweight

Shakur Stevenson says he plans to take a closer look at Moses Itauma after learning the young heavyweight counts him among his favourite fighters. The comment came through a brief exchange online following Itauma’s recent appearance in Saudi Arabia, where he had spoken about the fighters he watches and learns from.

“He told me I’m one of his fav fighters in Saudi,” Shakur said on X. “I’m bout to study him heavy too now.”

When Shakur says he is going to “study him heavy,” he is essentially saying, “I’ve already mastered this style, and I want to see how this kid is applying my principles in a different weight class.” It is a way for Shakur to:

By “studying” a heavyweight, he’s implying his high-IQ style is the gold standard for all divisions. It’s a way of validating his own genius.

If Itauma actually turns out to be great, Shakur can say he saw it first. If Itauma flops, Shakur can just stop mentioning him.

For a prospect who has yet to be pushed into the deep water of championship rounds, having a pound-for-pound talent like Stevenson “study him heavy” is a massive validation. It suggests that Itauma’s fundamentals are so sound that they are visible to the most critical eyes in the sport.

“Studying” someone’s style doesn’t fix their chin or their lack of experience against top-tier Eastern European or American amateurs. Shakur can study Itauma all he wants, but that won’t help Itauma the next time a fighter like Jermaine Franklin decides to actually throw back and test that defense.

As a pro, Itauma still hasn’t fought any of the high-caliber contenders. Franklin was chosen from the bottom of the top tier. Itauma didn’t have the typical 100+ fight amateur career where he was constantly fighting the Cuban or Uzbek machines. He turned pro at 18, choosing to get paid to learn rather than grinding through an Olympic cycle.

It feels like a mutual admiration society designed to keep both their names in the “high-IQ” conversation, even if one of them is still very much an unproven commodity.