Usyk vs Itauma

He wings his punches far too much, usyk would see them coming a mile off and punish him badly for it. I don't think any version of itauma now, 2 years or 10 years in the future beats the current version of usyk.

 

You have made it clear in the past that you do not buy hype jobs.

Do you think Itauma is a hype job? ATM, I'm unsure - but he does look very good offensively, and he didn't even lose in the amateurs.

 

Ffs this early hype of Brit HWs makes me cringe.. its so fkin cliche .. this is why most falter, because they are crowned before they've even done anything.. Itauma doesn't deserve anywhere near a title shot

 

As a prospect? No, he's clearly got potential - he may or may not make it right to the top, but that's how it goes with prospects.

With the crowd that thinks he should get matched up against contenders already... Yes, they're hyping him way, way harder than it's possible to justify.
The guys picking him to BEAT contenders already, or thinking it's even sensible to discuss him against ATG's (which Usyk clearly is)? Those guys are dribbling imbeciles who shouldn't be interrupting their busy windowlicking schedules to post on an internet boxing forum.

He looks a talented kid, but so have plenty that never made it...
I'm interested in following him and curious to see how they progress him, whether they take it slow or throw him in some tough fights at a youngish age (as Dubois was).

I don't need to "believe" he's a future great to find it interesting to follow him as a prospect... Some people are just desperate to pick the next big thing, and pick multiple failed hypejobs before getting lucky with one that makes it.

 

It's not just that... We're talking about the sharp end of a bell curve in terms of performance - the higher up the tree you go, the less guys can still make it and be competitive.

It's pure probability combined with the inability of some people to be sensible.

 

Let’s see if this kid has a chin first.

So far he hasn’t really been hit by any of the low level guys he has fought.

 

Hughie Fury?

 

Exactly - he could be genuinely highly skilled but incapable at the highest level because of his chin (a heavyweight Amir Khan, for example), but we won't know that until it's tested...

Or he might have a decent chin but questionable heart.

Or he might be excellent at knocking out mediocre fighters, but near completely useless against real contenders (that doesn't necessarily stop him getting a belt for a long time if he's protected enough ).

He could be anything - the data available so far just shows he's got potential, very little more than that.

 

Too soon for Itauma. Usyk would beat him easily.

Hopefully one day we can talk about a heavyweight fantasy fight between the 2 in their primes

 

Joyce was ruined by Zhang.