Boxing News
Mike Tyson tells Moses Itauma how to follow in his footsteps
Dec 22, 2024 • 2:30 PM ET
Mark Robinson / Matchroom BoxingMoses Itauma has made it a habit of stopping all of his opponents in their tracks, as he did again Saturday in Saudi Arabia by flattening Australian Demsey McKean in the first round.
So it was quite a sight to watch the replays of Itauma getting halted himself following the bout for a brief conversation with a man who became heavyweight champion of the world at age 20.
Mike Tyson, positioned ringside to view the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury heavyweight unification that Usyk won by three 116-112 scorecards, stopped the UK’s promising Itauma, 19, for a chat.
“How many fights (will) you get a year?” asked Tyson, who became champion with a quick knockout dismissal of the man who retired Muhammad Ali – Trevor Berbick – nearly 40 years ago.
“A lot,” Itauma answered. “I’m thinking eight fights this year (2025), eight fights next year (2026). Then we’ll see what we can come up with.”
After Saturday’s showing, in which he decked McKean with two massive overhand lefts, Itauma has some time to let the heavyweight division play out.
Usyk is likely headed to a later 2025 unification with the winner of the February 22 IBF title defense by Daniel Dubois and former WBO champion Joseph Parker while Fury could turn to a long-awaited showdown against fellow veteran former champion and countryman Anthony Joshua.
But it seems clear Itauma’s future is being fast-tracked under the supervision of Fury and Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, and with Joshua trainer Ben Davison in his corner.
“I want eight quality fights, not eight bums,” Itauma told Tyson after compiling four bouts this year.
The elder provided some wisdom when hearing that.
“Any fight you fight is quality, because anything can happen in there,” Tyson schooled. “Do you know what I’m saying? There’s no such thing as a bum. I used to say people are bums… That’s hard work.”
Itauma nodded that he understood.
Tyson, 58, cracked a reference that he viewed Jake Paul as a bum before their November 15 fight in Texas that Paul won by decision.
“You can learn from every fight,” Itauma said.
Tyson added, “I learned mostly from losses.”
Iauma clasped hands with the champion he hopes to one day follow.
“That you, I appreciate that,” Itauma said.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
