Moses Itauma employs Olympic medallist ahead of Filip Hrgovic test

Moses Itauma is putting the finishing touches to his preparation for the vacant IBF heavyweight title clash with Croatian Filip Hrgovic on August 29.

The 21-year-old southpaw, aiming to become the youngest heavyweight beltholder since Mike Tyson, has employed long-time friend – and perhaps future rival – Nelvie Tiafack as a sparring partner.

Tiafack, 27, is an Olympic bronze medallist from Germany who was beaten by Bakhodir Jalolov in the semi-finals of the super heavyweight tournament at Paris 2024. Unlike Jalolov, who continues to flirt with the amateur code, Taifack is now fully focused on the profs where he’s 4-0 (3 KOs).

The heavyweight is set to fight this weekend, under promotional banner MVP, on the Amanda Serrano-Lucrecia Anabella Manzur undercard at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. He takes on the unbeaten Salvador Zavala Molina over eight rounds.

The German, who also mixed with Richard Torrez Jnr, Jared Anderson, Justis Huni and Frazer Clarke in the vest, has sparred Itauma in the past and is highly regarded by the youngster.

The feeling is mutual.

“I’m not surprised what he’s bringing to the table because since the first day that we met in the ring… That guy’s special and he’s a great talent, definitely,” told Sky Sports last year.

The Cameroon-born Tiafack, who has been an MVP fighter since his second paid outing, added about Itauma: “Once we’re in the ring, it changes completely because everybody wants to knock each other’s head off.

“That’s what it’s all about, it’s boxing. There’s no sympathy there once we’re in the ring.”