BoxRec

What’s next for Itauma?

When will he be out next?

Will Ben be at his side?

What level of opposition does he need to build on.

He boxed well, he was quick.

He has the crowd behind him. But he came undone really after 4 rounds. Writing was on the wall.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑29 Aug 2026, 19:35 What’s next for Itauma?

When will he be out next?

Will Ben be at his side?

What level of opposition does he need to build on.

He boxed well, he was quick.

He has the crowd behind him. But he came undone really after 4 rounds. Writing was on the wall.

If it were me in charge and I had him locked in Long term so was willing to lose money to make it back later… assuming no real injury…

Moses vs a can in December/January.
Moses vs dobvichenko (10 rounder) march.
Moses vs Dave Allen June
Moses vs Hysa (if still undefeated) September.
Moses vs huni or Parker December.
Moses vs DDD 2028….


Alternatively a can then gassieve is a solid play.

Or honestly strait rematch with a smarter game plan is an option. If he has a clause which fwank probably has…

From a PR perspective, Queensbury Promotions needs a scapegoat for Itauma’s upset defeat, which will inevitably be Ben Davidson.

Itauma is clearly a top-ten world calibre fighter, but he needs a confidence builder, perhaps against Zhilei Zhang or Joseph Parker.

I did consider Andy Ruiz Jr. as an ideal durable opponent that would be a very winnable foe for Itauma, but the Mexican-American is very durable, heavy-handed, has fast hands and has previously beaten AJ via the “Homer Simpson” extraordinary punch resistance strategy.

The fact remains that Itauma appears to be a very good fighter that is nowhere near as good as the media hype.

A straight rematch is no go.

Doubt there was a clause.. Frank would have said. IBF already said the winner needs to fight Sanchez next.

I fell asleep before the fight started, not seen it yet but did Moses at least show he had a chin? sounds like they exchanged some. He's 21 and has all the time in the world to get to the top. Hrg said it'd be better for his soul to lose and maybe he's dodged the curse of having it all too early.

I think some really underestimated Hrg who only lost to Dubois imo on butts cut (and exhausted from being ill, he said). Credit to him for coming in lighter and in shape this time. This is a guy who beat Zhang the wrong way, clearly has peak Joyce levels of chin. I'd love to see him fight Kabayel and if it's in Germany I'll be there.

What's next? Adam Booth.

golden_labrador wrote: ↑30 Aug 2026, 05:13 I fell asleep before the fight started, not seen it yet but did Moses at least show he had a chin? sounds like they exchanged some. He's 21 and has all the time in the world to get to the top. Hrg said it'd be better for his soul to lose and maybe he's dodged the curse of having it all too early.

I think some really underestimated Hrg who only lost to Dubois imo on butts cut (and exhausted from being ill, he said). Credit to him for coming in lighter and in shape this time. This is a guy who beat Zhang the wrong way, clearly has peak Joyce levels of chin. I'd love to see him fight Kabayel and if it's in Germany I'll be there.

His chin did great. His cardio not so much.

Surely what he needs to do is loads and loads of fitness work, punctuated with fights against very durable opponents who will take him 10 rounds.
When he can manage to beat a couple of them on points without just dropping from exhaustion in the late rounds even if they are not hitting him, then he can think about taking on people who can last it out against him and hit back.

Getting haye vs Thompson vibes. Interestingly, booth was kind of the Davidson of his day. Couldn’t do right for doing wrong back then. “Never boxed” levelled at him too

David Haye was much smarter than Moses. Moses is as dopey as they come. Nothing between the ears. It would be much easier to rebuild Haye than Moses.

If i was his trainer , think i'd say Ok son you got the talent , BUT you are not fighting again until you have the fitness , absolutly no point in jumping on the ko easy fights , , i would be prepared to tell him get on the road , put some heavy boots on and go run up and down the sandhills and lose some of that flab , i would introduce hard bag work , pads and sparring sparring and more sparring against be prepared to spend the next 12 months , getting stamina and fitness that he needs bASICLY I'D WORK HIM LIKE HE'S NEVER BEEN WORKED BEFORE and if he did'nt like it just say , Ok mate you don;t need me see ya , and good luck but stay away from Wardley because after he takes your shots for 6 rnds like Phillip did , HE WILL HURT YOU BADLY , And above all i would kick any one who licked his arse out the gym ,, The lads got what it takes but i think he started to believe the hype and not been training properly , and the fight itself proved that

The recent trend of skipping the amateur seniors seems a very risky move. So much is learned on the international circuit.

mickey1975 wrote: ↑30 Aug 2026, 07:47 The recent trend of skipping the amateur seniors seems a very risky move. So much is learned on the international circuit.

CORRECT , j

Moses needs the rest of the year out and maybe then maybe come back around February time. He needs to get on the road and fight a few durable heavyweights, one interesting name is Labinot Xhoxhaj decent record boxer. Needs to be fighting 4 or 5 guys around fringe world level, but durable fighters who can take a punch but does not have much ammunition. He needs rounds imo. That along with fitness for those fights that go beyond 5 rounds.

He needs to understand that boxing is not about banging hard and hoping your power is going to be enough.

By fighting durable guys he should have a different thought process and pace himself.

Moses is a baby, 21 for Christmas sake, still developing mentality and physically. He's got time on his side but you can't rush young uns to world titles.

He's got to really want it. He's a wealthy young guy and boxing has come very easily too him. It'll be interesting to see what he does next.

gregregegg wrote: ↑29 Aug 2026, 19:44

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑29 Aug 2026, 19:35 What’s next for Itauma?

When will he be out next?

Will Ben be at his side?

What level of opposition does he need to build on.

He boxed well, he was quick.

He has the crowd behind him. But he came undone really after 4 rounds. Writing was on the wall.

If it were me in charge and I had him locked in Long term so was willing to lose money to make it back later… assuming no real injury…

Moses vs a can in December/January.
Moses vs dobvichenko (10 rounder) march.
Moses vs Dave Allen June
Moses vs Hysa (if still undefeated) September.
Moses vs huni or Parker December.
Moses vs DDD 2028….


Alternatively a can then gassieve is a solid play.

Or honestly strait rematch with a smarter game plan is an option. If he has a clause which fwank probably has…

The Dave Allen type opponents who will typically go into their shell, throw the odd haymaker, but whos game plan is to hear the final bell rather than risk winning is what Itauma will need for the next 18-24 months whilst he builds his stamina.

Fitness is something you improve in a few months - stamina is something totally different, and takes a longer timeline.

Itauma showed great potential. He didn`t get beat up; he didn`t quit - he simply gassed. He will meet a lot more opponents who can walk through his punches, so needs confidence in his stamina plus an actual game plan.

you can very, and i mean very, precisely measure how exhausted moses itauma is by how meekly he does his up down jab feint schtick.

Just listened to Bunce on his podcast and he said he wouldn't mention any names but he said several people linked to Itauma's team, which included current fighters and "proper people" as Bunce called them, looked at him like he was crazy when he said it could be a hard fight. They were all saying it would be an easy night for Itauma as Hrg was made for him and slower than Joe Joyce, it would be over in 1 or 2 rounds, 3 rounds if Moses wanted to play with him. Kind of worrying that's what his team thought! The only one linked to his team who said it would he hard was Pat McCormack

Get as far away from Ben Davison as possible.

Get a real trainer, work with him for a few months (McGuigan? I’ve seen some people throw up Adam Boothe but I’m not so sure… Boothe is all about the fast twitch muscle explosive power stuff, which Moses already has: it’s ring nous and stamina that Moses needs to work on)

Come back against a Nelson Hysa type.

Win the EUROPEAN title. How about that?

Then work his way back into a mandatory position. He can win a world title but stop with all of the hype and all of the stupid pressure put on the kid. This loss might be the best thing ever for him: I’m sure lots of other people have said this but I see this as a David Haye vs Carl Thompson type situation. Get back in the gym, graft and there’s still every possibility he can end up top of the heap.

Please God NO IMMEDIATE REMATCH!

Needs time, he has plenty of it, his confidence needs to be rebuilt, then needs rounds in the bank, clearly has the talent to be a champ.

New trainer

Get him to America away from home and with someone like Robert Garcia who will slow him down and transition him into a proper pro.

He is so easy to watch and really throws some lovely shots but needs to be nurtured and have a corner who really knows what they are doing.

Too bad Foreman and Archie Moore aren't around anymore to give him don't be a frontrunner lessons. Take a bit off then fight a few people who are a bit chinny. Watch the tape of the fight you lost. Make corrections.

Honestly it'd probably be wise to get him a win over some knockover before the year is out just to get his confidence back, and not have him go into the New Year as a failure, but after that the next year is all about working on that stamina and pacing himself.

Tony1244 wrote: ↑30 Aug 2026, 13:46 Too bad Foreman and Archie Moore aren't around anymore to give him don't be a frontrunner lessons. Take a bit off then fight a few people who are a bit chinny. Watch the tape of the fight you lost. Make corrections.

Wladimir Klitschko is. He's a guy who showed on at least a few occasions this same sorta issue, and then at a certain point never showed it again.

Seek out either him or people who worked with him I'd say.

Unfortunately the true Mastermind of Wlad's style change Emanuel Steward is no longer with us, but still lessons could be learned working with his former team I'd think.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑30 Aug 2026, 13:47

Tony1244 wrote: ↑30 Aug 2026, 13:46 Too bad Foreman and Archie Moore aren't around anymore to give him don't be a frontrunner lessons. Take a bit off then fight a few people who are a bit chinny. Watch the tape of the fight you lost. Make corrections.

Wladimir Klitschko is. He's a guy who showed on at least a few occasions this same sorta issue, and then at a certain point never showed it again.

Seek out either him or people who worked with him I'd say.

Unfortunately the true Mastermind of Wlad's style change Emanuel Steward is no longer with us, but still lessons could be learned working with his former team I'd think.

I should have added Emmanuel. Unless the loss destroys him mentally, he should be back. He sure as hell wasn't given a boxing lesson or pulled a Bobick vs Norton/Tate.