MOSES ITAUMA reckons it’s crazy some of his heavyweight rivals and pundits think he needs to get whacked to prove he’s a good boxer..
In 20 amateur fights and 12 paid ones, the unbeaten 20-year-old has shown speed, skill, power, maturity, intelligence, patience and a vicious streak.
sunsport Moses Itauma is baffled by critics wanting him to be hit[/caption]
sunsport Itauma scoffed at the questions around his chin[/caption]
Quick feet and quicker hands means that even in the two pro bouts where he went the distance, he wasn’t clipped around his whiskers.
Saturday’s step-up – against dangerous 37-year-old world title challenger Dillian Whyte – will be a massive leap up in class.
But the Kent starlet is stunned that respected names in the game will still doubt – him unless he has a war with the Brixton Body Snatcher and has to recover from some form of abuse.
“It’s mad isn’t it?” he asked SunSport in his deep voice. “You do well and people just want to see you get punched in the face.
“If I am the best fighter but I don’t have a chin, does that mean I am not the best fighter in the world?
“Any heavyweight has the ability to knock another heavyweight out. So if anyone gets clipped on the right button – whether it’s Joe Joyce or George Foreman.
“If you are getting hit by a big dude, it is going to hurt.
“I don’t go in the ring wanting to get hit by these guys, so that’s why I hit them before they hit me.
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Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte – all the info
One of the biggest fights of the year has arrived
The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders – he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing’s heavyweight division over the next decade.
But the Slovakian-born star – who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer.
The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table.
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“It just so happens it’s gone my way 10 times and I don’t understand this concept of me not being a good boxer unless I get clipped. That defeats the object.
“I don’t even have Twitter any more because you can’t please everyone.
“I am just focusing on my own thing, on my craft and taking care of my family and that’s all that matters.
“Because, whether I am a boxer or not, it will only ever really be my family that cares about me and I am sure they don’t want to see me getting hit.”
Itauma speaks from experience, 24-year-old brother Karol won gold at the 2018 Youth Olympics and was tipped to instant success until a shock 2023 KO cost him his momentum.
Chatham’s Slovakian-Nigerian family is steeped in the sport and even the 6ft 3in hammer-fisted southpaw’s mum and grandma help with some very sweet sports psychology.
Considering the few but loud remaining doubters, he told us: “I know where I am at and I appreciate it. But people don’t see behind the scenes.
“My mum sees me come home with busted eyes and hands and injuries left, right and centre.
“She still says: ‘oh my poor baby’ and I have to explain that this is what I HAVE to do.
“My mum and grandmother both keep asking me why I’m doing it… I just tell them it pays well!”
PADillian Whyte takes on Itauma in Riyadh[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
