Bakhodir Jalolov vs Moses Itauma

Jalolov promised at the Olympic Commendation Ceremony after the Paris Olympics that his current goal was to collect four professional boxing belts, to other national team members present at the ceremony and, most importantly, to the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. So I don't think he is not serious about his career, and in an 2022 interview he also said that he aspires to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Of The World. He recognizes the prize money and international status that a professional boxing champion can earn, but he has been very slow since the Paris Olympics. The 2025.2.6 match was cancelled because the doctor did not allow him to participate, although both boxers had arrived at the venue and weighed in. The performance of the 4.5 match was very poor, and before that, in an interview with Boxing News on March 21 (the background at that time was that Olympic boxing would continue to be an Olympic sport in the future), he said that he was thinking about winning a third Olympic gold medal, but the most important thing at the moment was his pro boxing career. It didn't take him long to be taught a lesson, the skills can be honed, and he is 31 years old and has at least five or six years. But in my opinion, his mentality is the most fatal. Joshua is too cowardly and Jalolov seeks comfort and is afraid of strong opponents. This is not the mentality that a top boxer should have.

 

Jalolov is a big stiff if Itauma takes a punch and it is a big if but nevertheless if he can then I'll tell you without any shadow of a doubt there will be no comparison with what Moses Itauma will achieve in professional boxing and what Bakhodir Jalolov will achieve in professional boxing.

You're talking about a virtuoso talent that moves hand and feet like a light heavyweight built for professional boxing and a big lumbering amateur fighter.

 

Really good fight. It's not "too early, too soon" for Itauma. He obviously has the tools to be a top fighter and if he can't get past the big Uzbek, then he would never have made it. Even if he loses, he'll learn more from the defeat than against 10 more easy TKO's vs washed up opposition.