Moses Itauma is living his own Rocky story… he will be a household name before the year is out as he heads to the top
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US baseball legend Yogi Berra’s priceless remark “it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future” always comes to mind at New Year. Crystal-ball gazing can be a hazardous game — but there’s every reason to believe heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma will be a household name before the end of 2025.
![[Moses Itauma is tipped to become Britain's next heavyweight superstar]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/bf8e4353-cf66-4565-a3a5-f56c9976bedf.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Having seen the debuts of all ten British men who became world champions, it was not difficult to forecast Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois would go on to bring the richest prize in sport to these shores. Tyson Fury was the surprise package. Few felt he could beat Wladimir Klitschko in Germany, which launched an amazingly colourful and controversial career.
![[Itauma flattened Dempsey McKean inside one round on the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II undercard]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/a0a61e49-522e-48ef-b459-4a4202ae0390.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But I am prepared to risk ridicule by suggesting Menacing Moses — who only turned 20 six days ago — may turn out to be the best of the lot. Itauma’s story is another of those boxing tales that sounds as if it belongs more to the realms of Rocky-like fiction than fact.
![[Itauma would become a world heavyweight champion at the age of 20 if he wins a title this year]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/eee66bbc-c9e7-45cc-a682-dbbae125a849.jpg?strip=all&w=684)
He was born in Slovakia to a Nigerian father who moved the family here 11 years ago to escape rampant racism and settled them in Chatham. Itauma joined the local amateur boxing club when he was nine. And, remarkably, he remained unbeaten before turning pro two years ago having won golds at various levels — schools, juniors, European youth and world youth.
![[Itauma's story has been compared to 'Rocky-like fiction']](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/6428c585-96c0-47c5-9122-c093b1f90051.jpg?strip=all&w=692)
