Moses Itauma isn’t entirely sure why he’s capturing so much attention from boxing fans.
The 21-year-old heavyweight has already built a large following on social media, and his Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren recently described him as the most exciting young talent in the sport. Itauma is set to face Filip Hrgovic on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena.
“I don’t really know,” Itauma said when asked about the growing hype. “I just try to be myself on camera. In the ring, I suppose I’m putting on exciting fights. I’m not flashy or over the top outside of boxing, so maybe people just connect with me being genuine.”
Although Itauma has said that fame doesn’t particularly appeal to him, he admits that parts of his journey still feel surreal. Now 14-0 with 12 knockouts, the Slovakia-born fighter has settled in the UK as his career continues to rise.
“I remember the Jermaine Franklin fight earlier this year in Manchester,” he said.
“When the crowd was chanting my name, I just wanted to stop and take it all in. But you can’t really do that when you’re fighting. You try to enjoy the moment without losing focus.”
So far, no opponent has managed to unsettle Itauma. Hrgovic, however, believes his experience will be enough to secure victory when they meet in London.
The bout was originally scheduled without a title at stake, but an agreement has since been reached with Frank Sanchez, who will challenge the winner.
“Honestly, I didn’t have much of a reaction,” Itauma said about the title being added. “If there’s a chance to fight for a world title, then why not? I was already taking Hrgovic seriously, and that hasn’t changed.”
When asked whether he agrees with Warren’s claim that he is boxing’s brightest prospect, Itauma remained modest.
He explained, “I feel like I’ve grown into the fighter and person I want to be, just like others at the top. You’ve got guys like Jaron Ennis and Shakur Stevenson who are still young as well. I wouldn’t say I’m ahead of them.”
Itauma also pointed to Agit Kabayel as one of the biggest threats in the heavyweight division and a possible future rival.
Despite his rapid rise, he admits he’s not entirely comfortable with the attention.
“In a BBC interview, I said that I don’t really want to be in the spotlight, but the way things are going, it looks like I won’t have much choice,” he said.
Even so, Itauma is keeping an eye on the next wave of heavyweights coming through.
“I like Leo Atang and Adam Olaniyan—they’re both very talented. Teremoana looks good too. Those are some of the young fighters I’m watching,” he said.
“There’s also a German amateur, Nikita Putilov. Every time I’ve seen him, he’s impressed me. When he turns professional, he could be very good.”
