Moses Is Going To The Top Of The Mountain
The next heavyweight of biblical proportions has, I believe, arrived on the scene, and his name is Moses. There is a promising (nay, miraculous) young man from England currently menacing boxing’s banner division. Enriko “Moses” Itauma was born December 28, 2004 to a Slovakian mother and Nigerian father, in Kezmarok, Slovakia and in 2008 he joined his family in the UK, the ménage immigrating both to escape racism and to seek better opportunities. And I, for one, believe they have found those opportunities through the undeniable talent of this 20-year-old southpaw. “Moses” Itauma is on a one-way climb to the very top of, not Mount Sinai, but the peak of the heavyweight mountain in professional boxing.
Currently a resident of Chatham, Kent, “The Portside Pillager” (my preferred appellation for this imposing pugilist) weighs 250 pounds and stands about 6’4″, and while he lacks the sculpted frame of say, Anthony Joshua or a young Mike Tyson, he may in fact be as gifted as the former “Kid Dynamite.” What makes Moses special is his hybrid of speed, power, poise, and boxing acumen. The only aspects of his fistic formation that have not been fully tested are his chin, heart, and stamina. Still, on his rise through the ranks thus far he has gone the six-round distance twice, and has absorbed a stout shot or two with no difficulty whatsoever. Of course, it’s tough to build stamina and prove the sturdiness of your mandible when you’ve starched all ten of your knockout victims in the first two frames.
Trainer Ben Davison is doing a commendable job guiding the young southpaw, the former having assumed the coaching of Moses from Alan Smith in 2024, but the youthful Nigerian-Slovak appears wise beyond his years in regards to tactics and strategy. He’s aggressive but doesn’t rush, beginning a fight with feints to the head and torso and scrutinizing his adversary’s reactions while probing for openings. He is also lightning quick in getting in and out, slipping his foe’s leads with grace and ease. The lad has a sharp right jab, always a top asset from either mitt, but his timing and precision are impeccable as well. Another key ingredient in his repertoire is the terrific leverage Itauma gets on his punches with either fist. They are short, direct, and deadly accurate, and he mixes them beautifully to the body and head—jab, hook, cross, and uppercut.
Intriguingly, Itauma has stated that one of the boxers whose skills he admired and tried to emulate was not a fellow heavyweight, but former featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed. Moses watched highlights of “The Prince” over and over in an effort to add some of Naz’s herky-jerky moves, sneak counters, and one-shot KO force to his own boxing style. And he appears to have done so. With the freakish hand and foot speed he possesses for a dreadnaught, Itauma is able to pull off pretty much any maneuver he can conceive, which makes him a very dangerous and unpredictable adversary.
The usual assortment of clay pigeons were served at the start of Itauma’s career, but he has since stepped up the level of magnitude in terms of opposition. A year ago he faced experienced trial-horse Mariusz “The Viking” Wach of Poland, who is listed at six feet seven and about 260 pounds. Wach had gone twelve rounds in 2012 with Wladimir Klitschko, but Itauma stopped him in two thanks to some shrewd and lightning-quick combination punching. In the process Moses also showed off some effective defensive technique as he made Wach miss the target with evasive head and upper body movement.
His eleventh victim was Australian southpaw Demsey “The Tower of Terror” McKean (6’6″, 245 pounds), whose only previous loss was to top contender Filip Hrgovic. Demsey couldn’t do “Jack,” if you’ll pardon the pun, against Moses, except to fall in round one. Despite the awkwardness presented by a fellow left-hander, one much rangier than himself, Itauma used hand and foot speed, feinting, and a canny sense of timing to dominate. A perfect right-left, body-head combo finished McKean after barely two minutes of action.
The most recent outing was this past May 24, when Moses downed American Mike “Silverback” Balogun, a former pro football linebacker. He is yet another southpaw (might they be prepping Moses for an Usyk clash?), whose only professional shortfall was a 2023 TKO loss to former IBF and WBA cruiserweight champion Murat “Iron” Gassiev. Balogun showed loads of heart and toughness as he fearlessly swung for a KO win, only to suffer a second round knockout instead, in a manner that leaves one grasping for superlatives.
Once again Itauma showed electrifying foot speed in backing away from punches. I mean, his mobility would be exceptional for a middleweight, but is downright mind-blowing for a heavyweight. The young man is preternatural in some of his movements, and his balance and weight-shifting are extraordinary. Against Balogun, the pugilistic prodigy feinted beautifully with his right knee and hand, in a manner reminiscent of Oleksandr Usyk, but with a wider stance, while jabbing to the body to lower his opponent’s guard. Keeping his right shoulder high to protect his chin, Moses continually altered his angle of attack, showing cobra-quick reflexes both when slipping punches and countering. Itauma is comfortable staying in mid-range, and his final two knockdowns of Balogun were scored by devastating right-hand counters, which actually have to be viewed in super slo-mo to be fully appreciated.
The pro record of Moses now stands at 12-0 with ten knockouts, and while he wanted to break Mike Tyson’s mark as the youngest ever heavyweight champion (at 20 years, four months, 22 days), he recently aged out of that opportunity. But the quickly rising youngster should not be in a hurry, for being so often leads to disappointment. His next match is set for August 16th in Saudi Arabia, a showdown with 37-year-old veteran Dillian Whyte, and unless “The Body Snatcher” has somehow stumbled upon the fountain of youth, this should be another impressive demolition. What Itauma really needs at this stage is a durable pug who can extend him several rounds, but, nonetheless, he has shown incredible progress and technical evolution in just his past three fights.
And so, casting a discerning eye on the current big man division, I for one am comfortable in predicting extraordinary things from the young portsider who has emerged from Kent and very soon will be discussed as a threat to any of the established names in the heavyweight class. You heard it here: Moses is going to the top of the mountain. Soon Great Britain will have another heavyweight champion of the world, and a fighter whose name may one day be remembered as a legend among the big boys. –Christopher J. LaForce
