Moses Itauma’s Trainer Predicts #1 Pound-for-Pound Status, but Critics Demand He Prove Himself

Trainer Ben Davison believes his fighter, 20-year-old heavyweight Moses Itauma, could become the UK’s first pound-for-pound.

The Trainer’s Grand Vision

Davison doesn’t say when he thinks that’s possible. He mentions a potential fight for Itauma against undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk as a match that could vault the Kežmarok, Slovakia-born Itauma to the #1 spot in the pound-for-pound ratings.

It would be nice if Itauma’s promoters start matching him against younger heavyweights with actual talent, rather than sticking with the older ones who are ready for the scrap heap, as we’ve seen repeatedly with him. He has a plastic record, impressive at first glance, but when one looks at the opposition he’s fought, there’s nothing there.

With the wins on Moses’ resume, he belongs at the bottom of the rankings, not at #1, with his trainer artificially pumping him up for pound-for-pound status. His achievements thus far are purely superficial.

Itauma’s Flimsy Record

For a fighter who has received so much hype and been given a high #1 ranking with the WBA and WBO, it’s surprising that he’s still fighting C and D-level heavyweights. Judge for yourself. These are Itauma’s last six opponents:

• Dillian Whyte: 37
• Mike Balogun: 41
• Demsey McKean: Knocked out in last fight
• Mariusz Wach: 45
• Ilja Mezencev
• Dan Garber: 40

“I don’t think this country [UK] has ever produced a pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. I think we have the opportunity to do that. At heavyweight, barring now there’s talk of us fighting Usyk, at British heavyweight to be the best pound-for-pound best boxer in the world potentially, that’s what we’ve got when it comes to Moses Itauma,” said trainer Ben Davison to talkSPORT Boxing about his fighter, Moses Itauma.

The Pound-for-Pound Path

Before Davison goes about anointing Itauma as the best heavyweight in the Milky Way galaxy, it would be nice to see him fight some A-level heavyweights for once in his life, wouldn’t it? Before Moses Itauma is given a world title shot on a silver platter against Usyk, I’d like to see him cut his teeth against this little gauntlet to see if he’s ready for the King:

1. Joseph Parker
2. Fabio Wardley
3. Lenier Pero
4. Filip Hrgovic

Well, if the people on the Ring Magazine panel are the same ones who pushed Terence Crawford to #1 pound-for-pound after a narrow, not spectacular win over Canelo Alvarez last weekend, Itauma has got an excellent chance of grabbing the #1 spot eventually.

It likely won’t happen until Crawford retires or gets beaten unless Itauma does something spectacular. I get the feeling that Bud is going to stay at that top spot and might even sit in the position for the next year if he chooses to stay inactive for 13 months, his custom during the last two years.