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Moses Itauma Gets Honest on Why He Won’t Target Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury

Heavyweight Moses Itauma believes that both Tyson Fury and Tyson Fury have both seen better days in the ring.
Terrance Biggs|
Moses Itauma
Moses Itauma | IMAGO / PA Images

Time in sports waits for no athlete. In boxing, the hourglass of a career runs on double time. With each absorbed punch, a fighter draws closer to retirement.

Additionally, discussions about a fighter's prime in the sport can ignite a heated debate. Many fighters do not fight more than twice a year. As a result, they can push the timeline back, and if they are knockout fighters who end bouts early, that can also leave the metaphorical tread on the tire.

Moses Itauma, in the opinion of some, is the future of the sport, and the 21-year-old will face Filip Hrgovic on August 29 for the vacant IBF heavyweight title. Yet that's not the reason he's in the headlines today. Instead, it's due to his response when asked about Anthony Joshua fighting Tyson Fury.

Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua | Megan Briggs / Getty Images for Netflix

Itauma's honest reaction

Itauma is still in the infancy of his career. In contrast, Joshua is far closer to the end. When asked if he would fight with either one, he did not mince words.

"Not really [targeting fights with Joshua and Fury]. I think for me to do or suggest that would be a bit disrespectful. ‘AJ’ obviously isn’t in his prime, nor is Tyson Fury. And I think it would be disrespectful for me to say that I want to fight these guys now because, not to throw shade, they are not the fighters that they once were.

“Obviously, they are still very good and capable fighters and if all three of us we were in our primes they would be lovely fights, but I have got Filip Hrgovic in front of me.” 

Between the two, the veterans possess 439 rounds, pretty much the equivalent of over 1,000 rounds of ring time. Meanwhile, Itauma earned 31 rounds of ring time in 14 fights. The gap in experience is quite wide.

Granted, Joshua and Fury are not at their respective primes, but if he looked at the fight game from a big-picture perspective, he would see the potential to make millions early on. Imagine a fight in Great Britain, possibly at a soccer stadium, with rabid fans and the acoustics echoing off the building's sides. While he possesses youthful confidence, fighting either Fury or Joshua may not be as easy as Itauma thinks.

Joshua, even with his questionable chin, still possesses knockout ability and a knack for turning an opponent's lights out in brutal fashion. Itauma prides himself on bullying competitors. What happens when he cannot do that to Joshua?

Meanwhile, Fury boasts an 85-inch reach, over seven feet in distance. Itauma cannot get in close if he cannot fight around the jab. Moreover, Fury's defense could give the hard-hitter fits. In reality, Itauma could be right in his assessment. However, does he have enough skill to let his youth dominate?

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Published
Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Terrance is a boxing writer for KO on SI. He's enjoyed over a decade of writing experience, writing for Full Press Coverage, Pro Football Sports Network and Heavy.com, covering both professional and collegiate sports. He is s a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Terrance also votes on postseason awards like the Biletnikoff, Groza, and Thorpe Awards. Biggs earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his children and his fiancée, along with playing softball.