Boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed has described Moses Itauma as “a million times better” than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury and expects the younger British heavyweight to surpass both former world champions.
Itauma, 21, is unbeaten in 14 skilled fights and faces Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
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The Chatham fighter has been touted as the inheritor to the heavyweight throne, while Joshua and Fury have agreed to meet later this 12 months in their long-awaited all-British showdown.
“Moses is on another level to the likes of Tyson Fury and Tyson would say that himself. Tyson would not want to fight Moses and neither would Joshua,” Hamed instructed BBC Sport.
“If they did I would say they are very brave.”
Victory would make Itauma the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in historical past, behind only Mike Tyson.
He will also do it one battle sooner than Joshua did when he won his maiden world title in his sixteenth professional bout.
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Fury has lost twice – both to Oleksandr Usyk – while Joshua has lost 4 occasions in 34 professional fights.
“I think Tyson Fury was amazing for British boxing and what he achieved, what he did and brought to the game and how colourful he was as a personality,” Hamed, 52, added.
“I think Joshua did an amazing job early in his career to win a world title and be an ambassador for British boxing.
“[But] I can’t evaluate Moses. He is a million occasions higher than them.”
‘Itauma will defend world titles for as long as he wants’
Hamed was one of British boxing’s biggest stars during the 1990s, combining an entertaining fighting style with elaborate ring entrances and a larger-than-life character.
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The Sheffield-born fighter became Britain’s youngest world champion when he beat Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in Cardiff in 1995, aged 21 and 230 days.
Itauma will miss out on that record by 14 days if he beats Hrgovic.
Hamed, though, says he is not concerned about records and simply wants to see “particular fighter” Itauma fulfil his potential.
“Winning a national title as an beginner aged 11 and then having in your head all the approach through your beginner profession that you’ll be world champion at 21 – I visualised that. I think it’s very much the same for Moses,” he said.
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“I’m so assured that Moses is going to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m so assured that he’ll defend that belt for as long as he needs.
Hrgovic is an underdog despite his superior file against higher opposition. The 34-year-old is an Olympic bronze medalist and has only lost once – to present WBO world champion Daniel Dubois in 2024 – in 21 fights.
But Hamed does not expect the battle to show significantly troublesome for Itauma.
“On paper it’s a test but I don’t think the night that we watch it it will be a test,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be one of Moses’ easiest nights of his career and he’ll win a world title.”
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