The way I see it, I’m a modern-day gladiator. I just get into the arena and have to fight.”
Tipped by many as the future of the heavyweight division, 19-year-old Moses Itauma is already an imposing figure with an impressive record.
On 21 December, he stopped Demsey McKean in one round to register the 11th win in an explosive fledgling professional career which includes nine knockouts.
Under the lights in Saudi Arabia – on the undercard of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch – Itauma had come a long way from the “cold” climes of Slovakia, his mother’s home nation, where he spent the first few years of his life.
“It’s part of my identity, it’s not something I would change, but we weren’t treated the same way as everyone else,” Itauma, whose father is of Nigerian heritage, says.
“We would stand out because we were the only African Slovak people, but I am proud of my heritage.
“I think I got the best of both worlds, that Slovak toughness, mentality, and I’m strong physically from my Nigerian side.”
Speaking to the BBC from his gym in Essex, Itauma – who turns 20 on 28 December – reflects on his journey from the small Slovakian town of Kezmarok to becoming one of the hottest properties in boxing’s glamour division.
