- Akwa Ibom-born boxer, Itauma, set to erase Tyson’s record– By Eno Udo
Akwa Ibom-born heavyweight boxer, Moses Itauma, is now only a few fights away from challenging for a world title to become the youngest champion ever, should he win.
The 19-year-old, born to an Akwa Ibom father and a Slovakian mother, might erase Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest boxer to have won a world heavyweight title, all things being equal.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history at the age of 20 years and four months on November 22, 1986, when he defeated Trevor Berbick to clinch the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt. Tyson has held the record since then. But Itauma is in a race against time to beat the record.
Itauma has won all his 11 professional fights with nine of them by knockouts. On December 21, at the Kingdom Stadium, Saudi Arabia, he knocked out Australian boxer Demsy McKean in round one.
The fight was on the undercard of the rematch between world undisputed heavyweight champion Olesander Usyk and challenger Tyson Fury.
As a rising star, Itauma , who has been sparring with boxing greats like Tyson Fury, is getting talked about in the boxing circle and currently holds the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Continental heavyweight title.
Although born to an Akwa Ibom father, Itauma holds both British and Slovakian citizenships. He was born in Kezmarok, Slovakia, but his parents later moved to Britain where they now reside.
His elder brother, Karol, 24, is also a boxer in the light-heavyweight division.
