History making Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer, Moses Itauma has come out with a startling revelation that he likes reading motivational books as a source of inspiration during his free time.
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Sports247 reports that, just ahead of his epochal clash with USA’s Jermaine Franklin, who he knocked out in round five on Friday night in Manchester, England, Itauma said reading is his main hobby.
The 21-year-old fastest growing young heavyweight of the new generation disclosed that reading the works of great authors inspires him to equally aspire for greatness in his career.
His reading habit appears to be working, as the lad from Kent has galloped into global limelight just six years after he and his younger brother, Samuel, had to ‘manage’ their pocket money by eating light.
At that point, Itauma recalled he would sleep anywhere he could find, even a bathtub, on trips to watch his colleagues fight around Europe; but all that struggling to eke out a living has now speedily turned into days of comfort.
Three months since turning 21, Itauma has developed an even stronger appetite for reading, through which he learnt self-improvement and self-discovery from literary giants like Jiddu Krishnamurti and Niccolo Machiavelli.
His hunger for books has seemingly helped Itauma step out of poverty into fortune and fame, just three years into his pro career, and he can now enjoy fine things of life, along with his family and friends, but the boxing prodigy won’t forget the past.
“My dad used to give us £7 for the week and we would go and get the rice and mayonnaise from the shop. I think Samuel was the one doing the cooking but I was on the washing up.
“I slept in the bath when we used to go on trips for boxing tournaments. I was always the one who ended up on the floor or in the bath, but it was only for a couple of nights when the other boys were boxing.
“I was never a big fan of reading because I found it hard to click with books, but then I found a couple that I liked and now I am on the rampage. I just ordered about 50 books,” Itauma revealed.
