Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer, Moses Itauma has spoken about the inspiration he gains from thinking of his roots in Akwa Ibom State, as he prepares for his next major night in the roped square
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Sports247 reports that, as the British Young Boxer of The Year 2025 prepares for his delayed bout against USA’s Jermaine Franklin this Saturday in Manchester, Itauma recalled how excited and delighted he was during his first trip to Nigeria.
He recently travelled to Nigeria a second time and the 21-year-old pugilist recounted how the trip gave him a stronger sense of belonging, which he is now recalling as part of the motivation spurring him ahead of Saturday’s clash with 32-year-old Franklin.
It will be Itauma’s 14th professional fight and, incidentally, it will be against a tough opponent who some years back took another Nigerian-born boxer, Anthony Joshua to the distance in a frustrating bout that ended in a brawl after the bell.
Itauma is now flaunting his Nigerian background as a pivotal part of his success story, while preparing to step into the Manchester ring with a perfect record of 13 wins from all his fights since January 2023, winning 11 by knockout.
His most recent victory was a stunning first-round stoppage of another British fighter, Dillian Whyte in Saudi Arabia last August, and Itauma disclosed that he likes springing surprises, as was the case during his arrival on Nigerian soil.
“They didn’t know my story. They don’t know what I’ve gone through, they don’t know what my mum’s been through, they don’t know nothing about me. But they said just because I’m Nigerian, they’re proud of me.
“That’s something I’ve never had anywhere else. Something made me grateful just to be there. I was saying to my mum, nobody even shook my hand in Slovakia. I go to Nigeria as the same person and they treat me very well.
“And then my mum was like, yeah, but that’s true Nigerians. They’re naturally happy and they’re naturally grateful. This isn’t just my boxing, this is kind of my personal life,” Itauma told BBC Sport Africa.
