Artur Beterbiev remained completely perfect as he stopped Anthony Yarde to retain the IBF/WBC/WBO Light Heavyweight titles in action packed fight at The AVO Arena in London.

It was a fight full of action with each guy having success by landing some hard combinations. Each guy backed the other up at various times in the fight with rounds five and seven seeing terrific two way action.

At the end of round five, Yarde was cut under his right eye. During round six, Beterbiev was cut over his right eye. That did not bother Beterbiev as in round eight, Beterbiev landed a looping right to the top of the head that put Yarde on the canvas. With Yarde hurt, Beterbiev landed two more shots before Yarde’s corner stopped the fight at 2:01.

Beterbiev on Russia is 19-0 with 19 knockouts. Yarde of England is 23-2.

Beterbiev said, “Every fight is different. It’s a different preparation. And the fighter is different, too. I can’t say I did a very bad fight. But if I could do it again, I’d do it better. But I feel good. To be honest, I prepared for the all the punches he did. That’s why I could come back. It’s because we expected those punches.

“Everyone can punch hard at this level. And Anthony did, too. But he’s young. I turned into a professional when I was 28. He has time. I hope he does well in the future. I want [Dmitry] Bivol. Right now, it’s everything. In that fight, we’ll have four belts. It’s really good fight, I think.”

Maderna Shocks Itauma in 5

Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna scored a big upset by stopping Karol Itauma in round five of their eight-round light heavyweight bout.

Maderna continuously landed a straight right hands on the listless southpaw Itauma, In round five, one of those right hands landed flush and dropped Itauma. Itauma did not attempt to beat the count and the fight was stopped at 1:04.

Maderna of Argentina is 29-10 with 19 knockouts. Itauma of England is 9-1.

Dalakian Decisions Jimenez to retain Flyweight belt

Artem Dalakian retained the WBA Flyweight title with a 12-round decision over David Jimenez in a battle of undefeated fighters.

In round five, Jimenez was cut over his right eye. The fight was close, but it seemed the constant pressure of Jimenez would get him the victory and the title. The judges saw differently as the scores read 116-112 and 115-113 for the defending champion.

Punch stats favored Jimenez as he landed 122 of 435 punches; Dalakian was 94 of 547.

Dalakian, 111.6 lbs of Kiev. UKR is now 22-0. Jimenez, 111.1 lbs of Costa Rica is now 12-1.

Andy Fletcher remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Darryl Sharp in a cruiserweight bout.

Fletcher won by a 60-54 score and is now 4-0.

Moses Itauma made a successful pro debut with a 22 second knockout of Marcel Bode.

Itauma is 1-0 with one knockout. Bode is 2-2.

WORLD YOUTH HEAVYWEIGHT champion Moses Itauma formally announced his professional debut today when he met the media ahead of his big night on 28 January at the OVO Arena, Wembley on the undercard of the unified world light heavyweight title showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Anthony Yarde.

Photos from today’s press conference can be downloaded here.
Images are free to use, please credit: Queensberry

Ituma, just turned 18, was confirmed as Queensberry’s future heavyweight force with the signing of a long-term promotional agreement in the wake of his World Championship triumph in November.

The younger brother of elite light heavyweight prospect Karol also won gold at the Schools, Juniors and Youth Europeans. Moses is a two-time National champion, a Multi-Nation BoxCup winner and was unbeaten in 24 fights as an amateur.

He will now see action for the first time in the professional ranks on the same card as his unbeaten sibling, who will fight for his first title on the show.

“It has been our dream since we were young so it will definitely be special,” said Itauma on the Wembley family affair. “It will be the best time of my life, really, me and my brother boxing on the same show. Especially with it being in London, which isn’t too far from where we live.”

“I came off Covid and not having any fights at all, to having the most fights I have ever had and now signing here makes it even better.

“I want to have around eight fights this year. I want to become the youngest ever world heavyweight champion and beat Mike Tyson’s record of 20 years, four months and 22 days.

“I’ve sparred with Lawrence Okolie, Joe Joyce, Anthony Joshua and everyone on the British scene. More often than not I have held my own.

“I am very confident in my ability and now I just want to see the difference between the pros and the amateurs. I want to be part of history and, when boxing is done for me, I want to be up there amongst the biggest names.

“The record is something I am chasing down, but I won’t be beating Mike Tyson’s record if I don’t win my pro debut.”

Tickets to see Moses Itauma make his pro debut on the undercard of Beterbiev vs Yarde are priced from £50 and are available from AXS.com and Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Sitting alongside his younger brother at the BT Sport studios was the former Olympic Youth champion Karol, who will bid to win a first title in the professional ranks when he goes up against Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna from Argentina for the WBC International light heavyweight title at the OVO Arena, Wembley on January 28.

The classy 22-year-old will hit double figures as a pro in North West London, having built up a perfect 9-0 record to date, with seven of the wins coming via stoppage. He fought four times across 2022 and two of his fights took place on Tyson Fury undercards at Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Maderna, 28-10 (18 KOs), has kept good company in the ring over the course of his 14-year professional career. He is a four-time winner of the Argentinean super middleweight title and he made an unsuccessful challenge for the IBO world title in 2013, losing on points to Thomas Oosthuizen.

The now 36-year-old subsequently won the WBC Latino title in 2013 before taking on and suffering a fourth round stoppage against a then 9-0 Artur Beterbiev in Montreal in mid-2016.

In the same year he won the WBC Latino belt at light heavyweight by defeating Walter Gabriel
Sequeira before returning to super middle and making an unsuccessful challenge for the WBA Continental title in Moscow against Fedor Chudinov.

“Like I have said all along, my coach does all the homework and I just try and implement things in the ring,” said Itauma of the man standing in the way of his first title triumph. “He has mentioned that he is experienced but that is what it takes to progress and move up the ladder.

“I need this kind of fight. I wouldn’t say the title has made much difference to me in preparations because the prize is just a bonus and, if anything, a cherry on top. The fight is like any other fight in that you go in there to come out victorious. The title is a little extra thing and sometimes you can think about it too much, which can bring pressure, so there is no point in thinking about it like that.

“I am excited for it though and, obviously, I am going to be there with my brother. It is crazy because during our whole amateur boxing career we never boxed on the same night. So to be able to share a night together where it is his debut and my first title fight is very special.

“It was an emotional roller coaster watching him win his world championship out in Spain, so I can’t bear to think what it will be like watching him as a pro. I know what he is capable of though and it is all in his hands.

“He is going to make statements and shock the world.”

Tickets to see Moses Itauma make his pro debut and Karol Itauma fight for his first pro title on the undercard of Beterbiev vs Yarde are priced from £50 and are available from AXS.com and Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Tyson Fury beat up and battered Dereck Chisora and scored a 10th round stoppage in front of over 60,000 fans at Tottenham Spur Stadium in London, England.

Fury hurt Chisora throughout the fight and closed his right eye. The fight could have been stopped anytime for the last several rounds and was finally and mercifully called off at 2:51.

This was the third win for Fury in a trilogy with Chisora

Fury, 268.6 lbs of Manchester, ENG is 33-0-1 with 24 knockout. Chisora, 260.6 lbs is 32-13.

Daniel DuBois survived three first-round knockdowns, but came back to defend his WBA “Regular” Heavyweight title with a third-round stoppage over Kevin Lerena.

It was a tumultuous round one for DuBois as he ate a right hook to the top of the head that staggered him and put him on the canvas. DuBois then went down on his own for a second knockdown. A left seemed to put Dubois down again. In round three, DuBois turned the tables by dropping Lerena with a right hand, DuBois ended the fight by landing a huge uppercut that snapped Lerena’s head and the fight was stopped just as the bell to end the round sounded.

DuBois, 240.3 lbs of London, ENG is 19-1 with 18 knockouts. Lerena, 230.9 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is 28-2.

Denys Berinchyk won a 12-round unanimous decision over Yvan Mendy in a lightweight bout.

Berinchyk, 134.75 lbs of Kiev, UKR won by scores of 117-112 and 116-112 twice and is now 17-0. Mendy, 134.6 lbs is 47-6.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated with an eighth and final round stoppage over Vladimir Belujsky in a light heavyweight bout.

In round seven, Itauma sent Belujsky to the canvas with a flurry to the head. In round eight, Itauma contimued to beat up Belujsky and the bout was stopped at 1:19.

Itauma, 177.1 lbs of Kent, ENG is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Belujsky, 176.6 lbs of Cork, IRE is 12-4-1.

Royston Barney Smith made quick work of Cruz Perez by scoring an opening round stoppage in their four-round lightweight bout.

Smith landed a perfect counter left that spun the head of Cruz and sent him to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at

Smith, 133.8 lbs of Southampton, ENG is 4-0 with two knockouts. Perez, 133.25 lbs of Nicaragua of 3-4.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated Vladimir Balusky in the eighth and final round of their light heavyweight bout

In round seven, Itauma dropped Bulusky with a straight left. In round eight, Itauma continued the assault until the fight was stopped at 1:18.

Itauma, 17.1 lbs of Kent, ENG is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Balusky, 176.6 lbs of Cork, IRE is 12-6-1.

Royston Barney Smith made quick work of Cruz Perez by scoring an opening round stoppage in their four-round lightweight contest.

Smith landed a big left hand that put Cruz down. Upon getting to his feet, the fight was stopped at 48 seconds.

Barney Smith, 133.8 lbs of Southampton, ENG is 4-0 with two knockouts. Perez, 133.25 lbs of Nicaragua is 3-4.

IN DECEMBER 2020, in the majestic surroundings yet eerie silence of Church House in Westminster, ex-amateur superstar Karol Itauma made his professional debut without the thunderous support of his army of followers from Kent.

Echoes instead of cheers provided the backdrop for his introduction to the light heavyweight division as he turned in an impressive display to overcome redoubtable journeyman Lewis van Poetsch via a shutout on the scorecard.

Fast forward 16 months and his last fight, the contrast in sporting environment couldn’t have been more apparent, as Itauma was handed a slot on the blockbuster Fury-Whyte bill at Wembley Stadium.

The Chatham-based Itauma – who returns to the ring at the Copper Box Arena on July 16 – hadn’t even been to Wembley before and he thrust into the spotlight in support of the headline act that attracted a crowd of 94,000 people.

The 21-year-old said he has yet to really process his stark change of circumstances across the short space of time between fights one and seven.

“The crazy thing is I haven’t really taken it all in yet,” reflected the Olympic Youth gold medallist. “For example, I was just concentrating on the job in hand and didn’t let any external factors get to me.

“Obviously when I look back now at some of the photos and videos, I am like ‘wow’, it was crazy.

“It was special for my family because not too many people can say they have boxed at Wembley and, for sure, it was something great.

“In terms of procedure things remained the same, obviously, with the warm-up, walk-out and all that stuff. The occasion though, Tyson Fury boxing in front of 94,000 and being there that night, added a bit extra to it all.

“In terms of pressure, there was no more or anything like that, I was just excited to be there and perform. As soon as we got there I went out and had a look at everything and it was incredible.”

Getting to fight on the biggest stage of all tells a young fighter such as Itauma that anything is possible in this sport as long as wins, popularity and fanbase continue to mount up

“Absolutely, and I feel like the start is believing in it,” he considered. “If you can believe in yourself and know that you can be there, that is the first step of it all. Some people don’t think they can achieve something like that, so straight away they are ruling themselves out.

“It was great to get a taste of it and, since then, I have kept my head down and I’m working hard towards the next one.

“The more steps you take forward, the more opportunities are going to open up and, with that, comes the big occasions. It is just part of the process.”

What Itauma did want on the night was more of a fight. His Polish opponent Michal Ciach succumbed in the second round, leaving the home fighter feeling a little bit short changed.

“I was happy, but during the moment I wasn’t happy because as a fighter I put in a lot and I wanted to be tested. However, my coach sat me down and said it is all a stepping stone and all part of the process of learning.

“It is all about getting better and that occasion was crazy to be a part of, so I am just blessed and grateful for the opportunity. But I know where we are heading and it is about sticking to a plan.”

Tickets for the show at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 16 July are on sale now priced from £55 and are availible from SeeTickets.com.

Hamzah Sheeraz fights for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title against Francisco Emanuel Torres on Saturday, 2 July at London’s Copper Box Arena. The British, Commonwealth and IBF European super middleweight titles will be on the line when Lennox Clarke and Mark Heffron meet in what should be a blockbuster battle between two big punchers.

A recent star at Wembley Stadium, Nick Ball will make a defence of his WBC Silver featherweight title, while Dennis McCann fights for the vacant WBC International Silver featherweight title against James Beech jr.

New Frank Warren signing Pierce O’Leary will fight for the vacant WBC Youth super lightweight championship, with other fights on a bumper card featuring super featherweight Ryan Garner, light heavyweight Karol Itauma, super bantamweights Masood Abdulah and Umar Khan, welterweights Khalid Ali and Sean Noakes and super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali.

Tickets for the show at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 16 July are on sale now priced from £55 and are availible from SeeTickets.com.

Tyson Fury retained the WBC Heavyweight championship with an one=punch sixth round stoppage over Dillian Whyte in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

In round four, Whyte was cut over his right eye from a headbutt. There was a lot of grappling and both guys had trouble setting a pace.

That all changed in round six as Fury landed a monstrous right uppercut to the chin that knocked Whyte flat on his back. Whyte got to his feet, but wobbled all over the ring and the fight was 2:59.

Fury is now 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts. Whyte is now 28-3.

Fury said, “I’m overwhelmed with the support. I can’t believe that my 94,000 countrymen and women have come here tonight to see my perform. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to every single person who bought a ticket here tonight or stayed up late to watch it on TV.
 
“Dillian Whyte is a warrior. And I believe that Dillian will be a world champion. But tonight, he met a great in the sport. I’m one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. And unfortunately for Dillian Whyte, he had to face me here tonight. There’s no disgrace. He’s a tough, game man. He’s as strong as a bull. He’s got the heart of a lion. But you’re not messing with a mediocre heavyweight. You’re messing with the best man on the planet. And you saw that tonight with what happened.
 
“I think Lennox Lewis could even be proud of the right uppercut tonight.”

Essuman Decisions Tetley

Ekow Essuman scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Darren Tetley in a welterweight bout.

Essuman landed 215 of 795 punches; Tetley was 144 of 691.

Essuman win by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice and is now 17-0. Tetley is 21-3.

Nick Ball Stops Isaac Lowe in 6

Nick Ball remained undefeated by stopping Tyson Fury-stablemate Isaac Lowe in round six of a 10-round featherweight bout.

In round two, Ball dropped Lowe with a big left hook. In round three, Ball was bleeding from the nose. In round four, Lowe was bleeding badly from his left eye.

In round six, with Lowe turned around, Ball drilled Lowe with two hard lefts and the bout was stopped at 1:45

Ball is 15-0 with eight knockouts. Lowe is 21-2-3.

Adeleye stops Healey in 4

David Adeleye stopped Chris Healey in round four of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round four, Adeleye landed a hard left and a big right that forced a referee stoppage at 52 seconds.

Adeleye, 232 lbs of London is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Healey, 282 lbs of England is 9-9.

Tommy Fury defeated Daniel Bocianski via six-round decision in a light heavyweight bout.

In round five, Bocianski was cut over the left eye. Later in the round, Fury landed a big right that put Bocianski on the canvas.

Fury landed 80 of 255 punches; Bocianski was 20 of 159.

Fury, 177 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 8-0. Bocianski, 175 lbs of Poland is 10-2.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Michael Ciach in a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Itauma sent Ciach to the canvas with a hard flurry on the ropes. In round two, Ituma dropped Ciach with an overhand left and the fight was stopped.

Itaima, 175 lbs of Kent, ENG is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Ciach, 175 lbs of Poland is 2-12.

Royston Barney-Smith remained perfect with a four-round decision over Constantin Radoi in a super featherweight bout.

Barney-Smith, 132 lbs of Southampton, ENG won by a 40-36 tally and is now 2-0. Radoi, 132 lbs of Swinton, ENG is 0-11.

Kurt Walker remained undefeated with a four-round decision over Stefan Nicolae in a junior lightweight bout.

Walker of Lisburn, Northern Ireland won by a 40-35 score and is now 2-0. Nicolae is 3-32-2.

THE EARLY CAREER path of exceptional light heavyweight talent Karol Itauma has yet to encounter a single bump and the Olympic Youth gold medallist has enjoyed extensive TV exposure, plenty of plaudits and the adulation of his ever-increasing support.

It begs the question as to why, following his five straight victories to date, he never looks particularly happy about it? 

“Yeah, Francis (manager, Warren) says it to me all the time!” said the Chatham-based 21-year-old, acknowledging that his pearly whites should be on display following success in the ring.

“He is like ‘you’ve gotta smile, you’ve gotta smile’. So I need to get better at smiling! I don’t believe it is a reflection of how I feel because inside I am happy. Training camps are hard so the boxing is the part I enjoy.

“So I am going to bring my teeth out a little bit more.

“Of course I am happy and it is a part I have got to improve on – and I will.”

Meanwhile, another Itauma – his brother Enriko – is just a matter of a year away from breaking into the professional ranks following a highly productive grounding in the amateur code.

It is fair to say Karol is enthused over the prospect of expanding the family business.

“I am very, very, very excited. Me, my coach and the people around us know how good he is and it is just a matter of time before everyone else will too.

“So I am really excited about his journey. We will be working alongside each other, we are under the same coach, the same S&C coach, so we will be under the same roof.”

Chris Bourke (10-0) takes on Marc Leach (17-1-1) for the vacant British super bantamweight title at York Hall on March 11, live on BT Sport.

The card also features exciting super featherweight Frank Arnold (8-0-1), Olympic Youth gold medallist Karol Itauma (5-0) in light heavyweight action, unbeaten Irish super lightweight Willo Hayden (2-0) and super welterweight Josh Frankham (4-0). Super featherweight Jamie Chamberlain (3-0) has his first fight under the Queensberry banner, with Jake Henty (1-0 super welterweight) and Aloys Junior (0-1 cruiserweight) both having their second professional fights. Cruiserweight Arnold Obodai will make his professional debut.

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, March 11 are on sale, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

Ticket prices:
£55 (Floor/Balcony unreserved)
£65 (Floor/Balcony reserved) – SOLD OUT
£105 (Ringside) – SOLD OUT

Weigh-In details:
Date: Thursday 10^th March
Time: 2pm on the scales (doors from 1pm)
Location: Holiday Inn Stratford City, 10a Chestnut Plaza, London, E20 1GL – 12^th Floor

FOR YOUNG LIGHT heavyweight sensation Karol Itauma everything is going to plan with his professional experience to date and future plans are already mapped out in writing.

The 21-year-old from Chatham has clocked up five impressive victories since turning pro off the back of a gold medal at the Youth Olympics and he is clear in his mind just where he is heading – and it involves plenty more hardware in the form of world championship belts.

Karol returns to the ring at York Hall on March 11 in support of Chris Bourke bidding to win the British super bantamweight title against Marc Leach and he describes himself as largely content with the direction his career is currently heading in, which has seen him become a small screen regular on BT Sport.

“I’ve had five fights – all on TV – and I’ve been very active,” Karol told Dev Sahni on the Unibet Lowdown. “So I have had the opportunities considering the situation we’ve been in where many boxers have been unable to box, so it would be very ungrateful if I said I wasn’t happy.

“I am happy with the way things are going and always focusing on what is in front of me. The next one is the most important fight. Me and my team always have our eye on the ball and are always training.”

Just in case he ever forgets or deviates from where he is heading, Karol reveals his ambitions are jotted down by his bedside and even pinned to the wall. The word ‘undisputed’ is a personal favourite.

“It is actually a little notebook! It is funny, I have got British title written in there and all the major world titles. I have printed it out and have it up on a pinboard so every day I see it as my goal and what I am working towards.

“It is about becoming familiar with what is waiting for me because, at the end of the day, a ship with no destination ain’t gonna get anywhere. I believe this is one of the things that separates me from other boxers.

“Visualisation is a whole other subject, but I also believe in this too.”

One thing he does visualise and is as certain as he can be about is the impact he anticipates his younger brother Riko making in the sport. Riko is a 17-year-old amateur heavyweight strongly tipped for stardom and Karol reports the pair are firmly on the same wavelength.

“My relationship with Riko I would call competitive, but it is also a crazy relationship. We understand each other, we get along well, he trusts me, I trust him and, in my opinion, he is the only person who can know how I really feel.

“He is my brother by blood, but he also gets in the ring as well as an amateur and will as a pro when the time is right.

“I know how far he can go and he will shock the world when he gets the opportunity to because he has been shocking us since he started boxing, at the age of 13 dropping grown men.

“Now it is just a matter of time before he explodes onto the scene and everyone knows about him.”

Chris Bourke (10-0) takes on Marc Leach (17-1-1) for the vacant British super bantamweight title at York Hall on March 11, live on BT Sport.

The card also features exciting super featherweight Frank Arnold (8-0-1), Olympic Youth gold medallist Karol Itauma (5-0) in light heavyweight action, unbeaten Irish super lightweight Willo Hayden (2-0) and super welterweight Josh Frankham (4-0). Super featherweight Jamie Chamberlain (3-0) has his first fight under the Queensberry banner, with Jake Henty (1-0 super welterweight) and Aloys Junior (0-1 cruiserweight) both having their second professional fights. Cruiserweight Arnold Obodai will make his professional debut.

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, March 11 are on sale now, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

Ticket prices:
£55 (Floor/Balcony unreserved)
£65 (Floor/Balcony reserved) – SOLD OUT
£105 (Ringside) – SOLD OUT

THE PROFESSIONAL AMBITIONS of Karol Itauma are not open to charges of ambiguity. The Olympic Youth gold medallist simply plans on ruling the light heavy mob.

‘Undisputed’ is the Itauma buzzword and the now 20-year-old even pencilled himself a little reminder to post by his bedside while growing up in Kent.

Also an eight-time national champion as an amateur, Itauma set off on his professional journey on short notice in December after willingly accepting an invitation to jump on big Lyndon Arthur-Anthony Yarde show in London.

He gave a good account of himself against the redoubtable Lewis van Poetsch, who was drafted in to get the storied amateur – who initially hails from Slovakia – off the mark in the pro ranks. Itauma will have a second outing, this time with a full preparation period, when he takes his place on the Denzel Bentley-Felix Cash British middleweight title card on April 24.

But Itauma has far grander plans for a glittering future of dominance in his division. He is setting his goals high and has every intention of reaching for the stars.

“That is my dream, undisputed champion,” said the 6ft 1″ southpaw, who was less emphatic over placing a timeframe on achieving such lofty heights. “From when I started boxing I had a little note by my bedside and the aim has always been to be undisputed and win those titles.

“I didn’t put a year alongside it because, in my opinion, if you put a date to it you could arguably start to rush things. You have to take your time with things like that and mature properly and develop.”

For now though, the Itauma development will continue at York Hall, where he will seek to demonstrate that preparation and practice make perfect.

“I wasn’t meant to box until this year, but when I got offered a debut on 10 days notice I wasn’t going to not take an opportunity I’d been given.

“In my opinion, obviously you are going to be in better shape – physically and mentally – after a four to six week training camp, rather than 10 days notice.

“It is all about the marginal gains and, if I had more time, I could have been better.

“I just look at this one coming up as a next fight and one I am taking very seriously. For me, it is all about learning, gaining experience, getting better and improving.”

Aside from the British and Commonwealth middleweight title showdown, there is a strong light heavyweight theme running throughout the April 24 bill. Callum Johnson makes his Queensberry return against the experienced Emil Markic, while Anthony Yarde will be bidding to get back to winning ways against the unbeaten German Emin Atra.

“Absolutely and it is obviously great to see the division thriving. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and are effective in their different ways.

“Tommy Fury is around too. At the moment we are on different tracks but I have to focus on myself and on getting better each day. In every fight I want you to be able to see an improvement,” added Itauma, who admits executing a spectacular finish does carry some appeal.

“A part of me does want it, but I am not the type of fighter to go in there and have that on my mind because that is when things go wrong. I just want to stick to the game plan and go from there.

“I feel like I need to get my foundations correct now, while I am learning and maturing. I am not a man yet so I need to get my fundamentals right first. Then when I do mature and get my man strength it will come together nicely.”