Hamed: Itauma better than Fury and Joshua
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- Prince Naseem Hamed said Moses Itauma is 'a million times better' than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, claiming neither former world champion would want to fight him and that if they did 'they are very brave.'
- Moses Itauma, 21 and unbeaten in 14 professional bouts, meets Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
- A win would make Itauma the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind only Mike Tyson, and would come one fight sooner than Joshua needed to win his maiden world title in his 16th pro bout.
- Hrgovic, a 34-year-old Olympic bronze medalist, brings a 20-1 record into the bout, his only loss coming to current WBO champion Daniel Dubois in 2024.
- Hamed predicted Saturday will be 'one of Moses' easiest nights of his career' and said Itauma will defend the belt 'for as long as he wants.'
- Hamed himself became Britain's youngest world champion aged 21 years and 230 days when he beat Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in 1995 — a record Itauma will miss by 14 days if he wins.
Why it matters: Hamed's endorsement carries unusual weight because he knows the youth-record path personally, having set Britain's youngest-world-champion mark at 21 years 230 days in 1995 — Itauma will narrowly miss that record by 14 days. With Joshua and Fury booked to meet each other later this year, an Itauma title win at the O2 would leave the heavyweight division tilting toward a new generational standard-bearer rather than the two veterans Hamed just dismissed.
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