Moses Itauma Talks Like Heavyweight’s Old Guard At 21

“I like Leo Atang. He’s very decent, and he’s a nice kid as well,” Itauma told DAZN News.

“I like Adam Olayinan, the guy who’s just signed with Queensberry. I watched his fight the other day, and that was very good as well.

“Obviously that Teremoana, he looks decent. They’re probably the ones I’m looking at for the young guns coming up. They all look decent.”

Teremoana is about to turn 29, competed in the Olympics, and trails Itauma by only three professional bouts. Calling him one of the “young guns coming up” seems odd coming from a fighter eight years his junior.

The difference is that Itauma has been pushed much faster and surrounded by considerably more hype. Wins over Dillian Whyte, Demsey McKean, Jermaine Franklin, and Mariusz Wach have helped move him up the heavyweight rankings and create the impression that he has already graduated beyond prospect status.

Those names look better on a record than the opponents the Australian Olympian has faced, but Teremoana hasn’t been given the same type of matchmaking. He has the size and punching power to potentially run through that same tier of fighters.

Itauma gets his opportunity to show how good he really is when he faces Filip Hrgovic on August 29. Hrgovic is a significant step up from the opposition Itauma has been beating and should give a better indication of where he belongs in the division.

Until then, it’s a bit early for a 21-year-old with only three more professional fights than Teremoana to talk like an established heavyweight watching the up-and-comers work their way toward him.