Will fast-tracked Itauma become world champion at 21?

Boxing’s promising young talents are usually managed with care, given time to develop before facing serious challenges. Itauma, however, has been fast‑tracked to a world‑title opportunity. Francis Warren — son of Queensberry promoter Frank — first spotted the teenager while he was sparring seasoned professionals. Former British heavyweight champion Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva was also present at those early sessions. "Moses was a large 11 oregon 12-year-old, astir 75 to 80kg, (11st 11lb to 12st 8lb) and sparred an big of the aforesaid weight," TKV says. "He truly showed up, enactment hands connected this grown man, and I was shocked." "The feline helium sparred was astir 25. Imagine going location and telling your woman you got bushed up by a kid." Itauma’s rise has been highlighted by decisive stoppages over Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin. Although neither opponent is regarded as a world‑beater, the manner of those victories reinforced the belief that Itauma is headed for the sport’s summit. When Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the IBF title and Frank Sanchez agreed to step aside, the bout between Itauma and Hrgovic was promoted to a world‑title fight. Suddenly, the accelerated path appeared to some observers as a shortcut. Hrgovic — who had previously been linked to the IBF rankings — claimed Itauma had been handed “everything on a plate.” Social media echoed a similar sentiment, with many suggesting that a final eliminator would have been a more conventional route to earn the shot. Itauma, however, shows little interest in proving himself to the skeptics. "It's a lose-lose concern for maine due to the fact that if I win, I've done what radical expect, and if I lose, it's conscionable like, I wasn't arsenic bully arsenic what I thought," helium says. "I don't find happiness successful trying to delight different people's expectations."