Moses Itauma is considered by many to be the heir to Mike Tyson, and for good reason. At just 20 years old, he has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the heavyweight division, maintaining an undefeated record of 13-0-0 with 11 knockouts, and is coming off an impressive first-round knockout against Dillian Whyte.

Like any top-level athlete, Itauma has stood out for his hand speed, devastating power, and composure inside the ring. Several fans and experts believe no prospect has been this promising since Mike Tyson, when the American legend first took the boxing world by storm.

The Latest Harsh Criticism Toward Moses Itauma

The young British boxer has not hidden his desire to face Oleksandr Usyk, even describing the fight as a “win-win” situation, acknowledging both his youth and the opportunity to share the ring with one of the best boxers in the world. However, those comments drew a strong reaction.

“The reason why we would fight Usyk is that it’s a win-win situation. If I go in there and win, I’m the heavyweight champion of the world. If, God forbid, I lose, I’ve just lost to Usyk—the world champion—and I’m 20 years old. So, it’s a win-win situation,” Itauma said in an interview with Boxing King Media.

In response, analyst Max Kellerman strongly disagreed with the young fighter’s mindset, insisting that Mike Tyson would never have thought that way.

“He said about Usyk: ‘If I win, I’m the champion; if I lose, I’m only 20 years old.’ Let’s pump the brakes on that for a second. Mike Tyson, when he was 20—the man Itauma is so often compared to—can you imagine him saying, ‘If I lose, I’m only 20’?”

Oleksandr Usyk Rules Out Fighting Moses Itauma

Following his spectacular knockout victory over Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk made it clear that he has no intention of facing Moses Itauma. The Ukrainian champion, who has expressed his desire to continue fighting until age 41, shared his future plans in an interview with Ready to Fight.

“I’ll fight until I’m 41. Then I’ll build a sports academy—train there and train others.”

When asked about a potential fight with Itauma, Usyk was blunt:

“No, I won’t fight Itauma. He’s young and always teasing me. Besides, he said himself he doesn’t hit grandpas. I can’t say for sure who I’ll fight next because negotiations are ongoing. I’d be lying if I gave you a name.”