Itauma 'million times better' than Fury and Joshua - Hamed
BBC Sport
BBC Sport
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Boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed has praised young British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma as far superior to former world champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. The 21-year-old unbeaten fighter is set to challenge for the vacant IBF heavyweight title against Croatia's Filip Hrgovic at London's O2 Arena this Saturday.
Boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed has described Moses Itauma as "a million times better" than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury and expects the young British heavyweight to surpass both former world champions.
Itauma, 21, is unbeaten in 14 professional fights and faces Croatia's Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
The Chatham fighter has been touted as the heir to the heavyweight throne, while Joshua and Fury have agreed to meet later this year in their long-awaited all-British showdown.
"Moses is on another level to the likes of Tyson Fury and Tyson would say that himself. Tyson would not want to fight Moses and neither would Joshua," Hamed told BBC Sport.
"If they did I would say they are very brave."
Victory would make Itauma the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind only Mike Tyson.
He will also do it one fight sooner than Joshua did when he won his maiden world title in his 16th pro bout.
Fury has lost twice - both to Oleksandr Usyk - while Joshua has lost four times in 34 pro fights.
"I think Tyson Fury was amazing for British boxing and what he achieved, what he did and brought to the game and how colourful he was as a personality," Hamed, 52, added.
"I think Joshua did an amazing job early in his career to win a world title and be an ambassador for British boxing.
"[But] I can't compare Moses. He is a million times better than them."
Hamed was one of British boxing's biggest stars during the 1990s, combining an entertaining fighting style with elaborate ring entrances and a larger-than-life character.
The Sheffield-born fighter became Britain's youngest world champion when he beat Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in Cardiff in 1995, aged 21 and 230 days.
Itauma will miss out on that record by 14 days if he beats Hrgovic.
Hamed, though, says he is not concerned about records and simply wants to see "special fighter" Itauma fulfil his potential.
"Winning a national title as an amateur aged 11 and then having in your head all the way through your amateur career that you'll be world champion at 21 - I visualised that. I think it's very much the same for Moses," he said.
"I'm so confident that Moses is going to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I'm so confident that he'll defend that belt for as long as he wants.
Hrgovic is an underdog despite his superior record against better opposition. The 34-year-old is an Olympic bronze medalist and has only lost once - to current WBO world champion Daniel Dubois in 2024 - in 21 fights.
But Hamed does not expect the fight to prove particularly difficult for Itauma.
"On paper it's a test but I don't think the night that we watch it it will be a test," he said.
"I think it's going to be one of Moses' easiest nights of his career and he'll win a world title."
Itauma, 21, is unbeaten in 14 professional fights and faces Croatia's Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
The Chatham fighter has been touted as the heir to the heavyweight throne, while Joshua and Fury have agreed to meet later this year in their long-awaited all-British showdown.
"Moses is on another level to the likes of Tyson Fury and Tyson would say that himself. Tyson would not want to fight Moses and neither would Joshua," Hamed told BBC Sport.
"If they did I would say they are very brave."
Victory would make Itauma the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind only Mike Tyson.
He will also do it one fight sooner than Joshua did when he won his maiden world title in his 16th pro bout.
Fury has lost twice - both to Oleksandr Usyk - while Joshua has lost four times in 34 pro fights.
"I think Tyson Fury was amazing for British boxing and what he achieved, what he did and brought to the game and how colourful he was as a personality," Hamed, 52, added.
"I think Joshua did an amazing job early in his career to win a world title and be an ambassador for British boxing.
"[But] I can't compare Moses. He is a million times better than them."
Hamed was one of British boxing's biggest stars during the 1990s, combining an entertaining fighting style with elaborate ring entrances and a larger-than-life character.
The Sheffield-born fighter became Britain's youngest world champion when he beat Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in Cardiff in 1995, aged 21 and 230 days.
Itauma will miss out on that record by 14 days if he beats Hrgovic.
Hamed, though, says he is not concerned about records and simply wants to see "special fighter" Itauma fulfil his potential.
"Winning a national title as an amateur aged 11 and then having in your head all the way through your amateur career that you'll be world champion at 21 - I visualised that. I think it's very much the same for Moses," he said.
"I'm so confident that Moses is going to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I'm so confident that he'll defend that belt for as long as he wants.
Hrgovic is an underdog despite his superior record against better opposition. The 34-year-old is an Olympic bronze medalist and has only lost once - to current WBO world champion Daniel Dubois in 2024 - in 21 fights.
But Hamed does not expect the fight to prove particularly difficult for Itauma.
"On paper it's a test but I don't think the night that we watch it it will be a test," he said.
"I think it's going to be one of Moses' easiest nights of his career and he'll win a world title."
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Source: BBC Sport
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