itauma and chisora

H Fury is a dangerous fight to take for a 20 yr old. Big, awkward & Allen says he is the most teak tough fighter hes sparred alongside the Juggernaut

 

Hughie Fury's actually potentially a decent test still. It's hard to say because Hughie hasn't fought anyone good for years. I think he was even out of the ring for a couple of years at least. But he's not an old man. He's a spoiler, a bit cagey, always was durable. But he's hardly known to be a 'live' contender in 2025 either.

 

I guess Hughie would be a step up but it's hard to say. He looked ok against Hammer 4 years ago but he's been ill, injured, inactive at times. Who knows how close he can get to his best now, which previously wasn't good enough to beat Parker/Pulev/old Povetkin.

Like any prospect, Itauma's potential pitfalls are complacency, pressure to make a statement and inexperience: never been past 6 rounds, never been seriously hit in a pro fight, never had to adapt, display/conserve stamina or show heart.

If Usyk retires undefeated as champion at say 40-41, this will put even more pressure on Itauma to avoid defeat himself to be mentioned in the same breath, as it will be creating an almost untouchable recent standard for the 21 year old heavyweight, Usyk hypothetically being the first HW champ to retire undefeated since Marciano in 1956.

Aside from Usyk, the top 6 HW's of the last 25 years have had 2-5 losses: Lewis, Vitali, Wlad, Fury, Wilder, Joshua.

 

H Fury is a better fight than Chisora. Chisora is 42 in December, and he's already exhibiting signs of CTE. The Itauma fight would be horrid, and I am glad he declined it.

 

It’s already been confirmed it’s not Hughie I believe. Thank God, the idea of Hughie in the main event of a PPV makes me sick.

 

Hearing it could be Itauma vs Hunter. Good matchmaking by Bricktop if that’s the case. Hunter has a bit of a name but hasn’t looked good recently.

 

They should stick him in with Big Baby Miller or Dough Boy ($) Bakole. If Itauma blasts either of them out in a couple of rounds, then it has to be a title shot next — because no one outside the top 1–4 in the division is going to give him any real rounds anyway. At that point, they might as well be title fights, not eliminators.

Bakole must be desperate for a fight by now — he’s still technically aligned with BOXXER, but no one seems in any rush to get him out. And if Itauma doesn’t get either of them, then just stick Miller and Bakole in together. That’d be a proper war… unless they both turn up looking like Butterbean, but even then it’d still be entertaining — like a heavyweight sumo match.

 

Itauma (who comes across as a thicko) is delusional/low IQ based on his claim that he has "better skills and ring IQ" than Usyk. If he said "I'm half his age, bigger, faster, more powerful" that would at least be a credible argument. The skills/IQ claim suggests that he doesn't understand where his relative deficiencies lie, or what Usyk brings to the table. He did say not far back though that he thought Usyk would outwork him on experience and stamina, and that he was impressed by Usyk's dominant win over Dubois, who Itauma praised after having sparred him (though Itauma and Dubois are stablemates). He also said "I can do things Joshua can't and he can do things I can't", suggesting relative deficiencies, probably in raw one punch power. And Itauma has a lot of pride in his partial Nigerian heritage, which increases pressure and the weight of defeat if it happens.

I don't think Sanchez is all that good so team Itauma's eliminator duck says something. Sanchez's only win of some note (UD10 over Ajagba) was 4 years ago, he's 33 (perhaps older) now. He isn't a big puncher, has never been past 10 rounds and was stopped inside 7 by Kabayel in May last year.

There's credible speculation that Itauma uses weed and other recreational drugs, he likes to party, and his weight fluctuates a fair bit (between 235.5 and 254 thus far across his 14 pro fights). Also, as one's wealth and status rise, motivation tends to decline further. And if you do get to the top, everyone is targeting you, while the top dog has to consider many potential challengers.

 

Jermaine Franklin is in London just now…

 

He's talked about fighting Franklin too.

 

Franklin would be ideal. Bit of fight in him, not a huge puncher but lets his hands go and he's solid. Should give Ituma some rounds if nothing else and get him thinking.

 

Can we get some opponents announced for this already please.

 

Finally Chisora has his last fight. He's been a great servant for British boxing. Deserves a win, so he can go out on a high. My favourite Chisora fight was the Takam win.