Rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma has revealed that fighting in Nigeria, his father’s homeland, is one of his biggest career goals.
The 20-year-old, unbeaten in 13 professional bouts with 11 knockouts, is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the division.
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His most recent fight came in Riyadh on August 16, where he stopped former world title challenger Dillian Whyte in just 119 seconds at the ANB Arena.
Itauma is scheduled to return to the ring on December 13 in Manchester, headlining at the Co-op Live Arena, with opponents such as Michael Hunter and David Adeleye reportedly in the mix.
He is currently in Lagos as under partnership of Bet9ja Foundation, he was a guest at the Chaos in the Ring boxing card at the Lagos Mobolaji Johnson Arena which saw Brandon Glanton stop Marcus Browne in round six.
He spoke with the press earlier in the day, Itauma described his emotional return to Nigeria, where he last visited in 2010.
“Of course I want to box here, that’s the end goal,” Itauma said.
“When I look at people in Nigeria, I know these are my people the way they embrace me. It’s one of those things that has been talked about for a long time but never executed. Now I think we’re in the closing stages of making it happen.”
The heavyweight, who was born in Slovakia and raised in Chatham, Kent, emphasized the pride Nigerians have shown him since his arrival.
“Someone asked me off the plane about my belts and said they were proud of me. It’s hard to turn down people like that. To see Nigeria through a man’s eyes after so many years is amazing.”
Itauma is already ranked No.9 by The Ring, and his perfect professional record has placed him at the top of multiple sanctioning bodies.
He is presently No.1 with the WBA and WBO, No.4 with the WBC, and No.5 with the IBF.
A world title shot appears inevitable if he maintains his winning momentum.
As his promoter Frank Warren confirmed, Itauma’s December bout will likely be the toughest test of his career so far.
However, for the young heavyweight, boxer who confirmed his father hails from Akwa Ibom, says the ultimate dream remains a homecoming fight in Nigeria.
