MOSES ITAUMA: I want to change boxing forever
Moses Itauma possesses a left hand from hell that could take over the heavyweight division. Born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother – Itauma Snr is
Moses Itauma possesses a left hand from hell that could take over the heavyweight division. Born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother – Itauma Snr is from the Ibibio tribe, while his mother comes from a culture known for high discipline – Itauma and his family moved to Chatham, Kent, when he was young.
He boasts a 13-0 (11 knockouts) record, having dismantled Whyte in just one round last year.
'That left hand'
Itauma is not just a thudding puncher; he is a snapping one. His left hand benefits from a rare combination of elite hand speed and Olympic-level strength, which was on show in his stunning first-round knockout win over Amine Boucetta in 2023.
In truth, Itauma has the hand speed of a middleweight which allows him to land the left hand before an opponent can even finish their jab.
Unlike many traditionalists, he embraces heavy Olympic lifting. He has been recorded power cleaning 140kg and bench pressing 175kg, power that translates directly into the explosive torque of his straight left and left hook.
He said: “I'm not doing boxing to make, like, some money and then leave. That's not, that's not what I'm doing it [for]. Like, I'm actually doing it because I need to do it. It's like, it's like a drug. Obviously, I've got to maximise my career as I'm doing it, and I've got a good family, a good team behind me to advise me in the right direction, because I've made some silly mistakes.
“I remember when I was like 19, or 18 or 19 years old, and I got my first kind of, like sum of money, and my advisor said: 'Do you wanna be the young guy with a secure future, or do you wanna be the young, flash guy who's got nice things?' I said, 'Who cares about the future?' I said, 'Give me the nice things!'
“And then it came back to bite me, so I was like, okay, cool, like I need to actually set myself up.”
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Itauma is not a trash talker before fight night arrives – insulting opponents and creating drama is not his way of working. He explained: “Because some people are in boxing for different things. I guess my promoters aren't gonna be happy about that, but I ain't really here to kinda sell tickets, or to be like a brash guy.
“I'm genuinely doing it because I've done this thing, I've done the sport for 11 years. I'm 20 years old, more than half of my life. And when I'm not doing it, I just feel out of place. But it's not like, 'okay, cool, I want to be like a Floyd Mayweather or a Conor McGregor or, or whatnot'. Like I'm just genuinely fighting for myself and for my family.”
Itauma has transitioned from prospect to heavyweight bogeyman, largely because of a southpaw left hand that is currently the most terrifying weapon in the division. And yet – bizarrely – Moses is right-handed. We call it a converted southpaw, with his right “lead” hand his jabbing arm. It means his jab, and right hook, are also very dangerous weapons.
Southpaw geometry
The majority of the heavyweight division fights orthodox so being southpaw gives Itauma a natural power lane against the field.
He excels at stepping his lead foot outside his opponent's, creating a direct line for his left hand to split their guard. From there, Itauma does not just throw the straight left; he can turn it into a short, chopping hook or an uppercut that catches fighters leaning forward. After landing, he does not retreat; he uses “pivot exits” to slip out at 45-degree angles, leaving opponents punching at the space he just occupied.
Itauma also often uses a rapid stutter-step to close distance. This resets his opponent's timing and allows him to “teleport” into punching range without the telegraphed lunge seen in most heavyweights. He uses disposition feints – small, twitchy lead-foot movements that mimic an entry – which freeze opponents or trigger a premature jab. Itauma immediately punishes these with a counter.
Despite his 6ft 4in frame, he also has exceptional balance. He can transition from circling the ring to a hard plant in a fraction of a second, allowing him to generate massive torque from the ground up without losing his defensive posture.
Victims of Itauma's left arm
The effectiveness of his power is best seen in recent step-ups in competition. Dropping Whyte was a massive statement. Itauma used a lightning-fast flurry topped off by a devastating left, ending the fight inside the opening two minutes.
In 2024 Itauma blitzed Australian Demsey McKean, stopping the 22-1 fighter in the first round with relentless accuracy.
Moses impressed against Mariusz Wach in the same year. Known for having one of the toughest chins in boxing, Wach was stopped by Itauma in just two rounds. No one had managed the feat faster.
Mike Tyson
Itauma has drawn comparisons with boxing great Mike Tyson (right) despite possessing a vastly different fighting profile Credit: Peter Jones/Reuters
Itauma's path is more surgical, facing higher-tier gatekeepers (like Wach and Whyte) much earlier in his career than Tyson did. While Tyson's power was legendary for its thudding impact, Itauma's power comes from velocity.
Itauma is ending fights even faster than early Tyson, with nine of his 13 wins coming inside the first two rounds. He has the size of a modern “super-heavyweight” but retains the speed 5ft 10in Tyson was known for, which is a rare and terrifying combination.
It feels that Itauma is destined to become one of the youngest champions in the blue riband division's rich history. And he could do it in the next 12 months.
