The heavyweight division has consistently produced some of the biggest stars in boxing and Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury agree that Moses Itauma will be the next superstar of the division.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk recently settled their longstanding feud with a heavyweight title rematch in which the Ukrainian was awarded the decision win.
Usyk’s win subsequently led to Fury’s surprise retirement from the sport as he stated he has ‘loved every minute’ of his career, despite bowing out with back-to-back losses.
READ MORE: The number of times Tyson Fury has retired from boxing following shock announcement
Moses Itauma named the future of the heavyweight division by Fury and Usyk
With Usyk nearing the end of his incredible career in which he is currently regarded as one of the pound-for-pound best, he and Tyson have both highlighted 20-year-old, Moses Itauma as the future of the division.
Itauma is currently 11-0 as a professional and scored a blistering first-round KO on the undercard of Usyk vs Fury 2.
That is huge praise, especially coming from Usyk who was named Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year, and currently holds four belts in Itauma’s division.
Usyk and his promoter Alex Krassyuk both watched Itauma fight against Mariusz Wach and instantly told each other that the Brit is the ‘future of the heavyweight division’, according to Frank Warren.
“Alex Krassyuk and Usyk were both sitting there and both of them said at the same time, ‘This is the future of the heavyweight division’,” Warren said at the post-fight scrum.
‘The Gypsy King’ has felt Itauma’s skills more firsthand as he has sparred the 20-year-old previously.
“Moses Itauma is the future of the heavyweight division 100%,” Fury said on his Instagram story.
One thing that will make Itauma an even bigger star than he is already being touted to be, is if he beats Mike Tyson‘s longstanding record of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.
‘Iron Mike’ won the crown in 1986 when he was 20 years and 4 months old, beating Trevor Berbick for the WBC heavyweight title, and has held onto the record ever since.
Will Moses Itauma break Mike Tyson’s longstanding record?
Itauma was scheduled to take on Justis Huni for the WBO interim title but that fight is now looking like it will be delayed until near the end of 2025, putting Itauma’s chances in doubt.
The Slovakian-born Brit has until May 19 to break ‘Iron Mike’s’ record and he is relatively confident he may still do so.
“If you were to say how confident am I in being the heavyweight champion of the world, I’m very confident,” he told The Ariel Helwani Show.
“But in order for me to achieve it, I need to be put in a position to achieve it. If I get the shot, I’m taking it, and I’m confident that I do it. It’s just whether I get the opportunity,” he continued.