Image source, Getty Images
Moses Itauma volition go Britain's second-youngest satellite champion, down Prince Naseem Hamed, if helium beats Filip Hrgovic connected Saturday
ByKal Sajad
BBC Sport boxing journalist
Boxing fable Prince Naseem Hamed has described Moses Itauma arsenic "a cardinal times better" than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury and expects the young British heavyweight to surpass some erstwhile satellite champions.
Itauma, 21, is unbeaten successful 14 nonrecreational fights and faces Croatia's Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight rubric astatine London's O2 Arena connected Saturday.
The Chatham combatant has been touted arsenic the heir to the heavyweight throne, portion Joshua and Fury person agreed to conscionable aboriginal this twelvemonth successful their long-awaited all-British showdown.
"Moses is connected different level to the likes of Tyson Fury and Tyson would accidental that himself. Tyson would not privation to combat Moses and neither would Joshua," Hamed told BBC Sport.
"If they did I would accidental they are precise brave."
Victory would marque Itauma the second-youngest heavyweight satellite champion successful history, down lone Mike Tyson.
He volition besides bash it 1 combat sooner than Joshua did erstwhile helium won his maiden satellite rubric successful his 16th pro bout.
Fury has mislaid doubly - some to Oleksandr Usyk - portion Joshua has mislaid 4 times successful 34 pro fights.
"I deliberation Tyson Fury was astonishing for British boxing and what helium achieved, what helium did and brought to the crippled and however colourful helium was arsenic a personality," Hamed, 52, added.
"I deliberation Joshua did an astonishing occupation aboriginal successful his vocation to triumph a satellite rubric and beryllium an ambassador for British boxing.
"[But] I can't comparison Moses. He is simply a cardinal times amended than them."
'Itauma volition support satellite titles for arsenic agelong arsenic helium wants'
Hamed was 1 of British boxing's biggest stars during the 1990s, combining an entertaining warring benignant with elaborate ringing entrances and a larger-than-life character.
The Sheffield-born combatant became Britain's youngest satellite champion erstwhile helium bushed Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight rubric successful Cardiff successful 1995, aged 21 and 230 days.
Itauma volition miss retired connected that grounds by 14 days if helium beats Hrgovic.
Hamed, though, says helium is not acrophobic astir records and simply wants to spot "special fighter" Itauma fulfil his potential.
"Winning a nationalist rubric arsenic an amateur aged 11 and past having successful your caput each the mode done your amateur vocation that you'll beryllium satellite champion astatine 21 - I visualised that. I deliberation it's precise overmuch the aforesaid for Moses," helium said.
"I'm truthful assured that Moses is going to beryllium the heavyweight champion of the world. I'm truthful assured that he'll support that loop for arsenic agelong arsenic helium wants.
Hrgovic is an underdog contempt his superior grounds against amended opposition. The 34-year-old is an Olympic bronze medalist and has lone mislaid erstwhile - to existent WBO satellite champion Daniel Dubois successful 2024 - successful 21 fights.
But Hamed does not expect the combat to beryllium peculiarly hard for Itauma.
"On insubstantial it's a trial but I don't deliberation the nighttime that we ticker it it volition beryllium a test," helium said.
"I deliberation it's going to beryllium 1 of Moses' easiest nights of his vocation and he'll triumph a satellite title."
English (US)·