Hamed: Itauma is a class apart from Fury and Joshua
Prince Naseem Hamed has said Moses Itauma is far better than Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Itauma, 21, faces Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title on Saturday. Hamed believes Itauma will surpass both former champions.
Itauma enters Saturday's bout with 14 consecutive professional victories, and a win would place him just 14 days shy of the record Hamed set in 1995 as Britain's youngest world champion. Hrgovic, a 34-year-old Olympic bronze medallist, carries a single defeat in 21 fights, having lost to current WBO champion Daniel Dubois in 2024.
The matchup carries historical weight beyond the title itself. Joshua required 16 professional fights to claim his first world championship, meaning Itauma would accomplish the feat one bout sooner. Meanwhile, both Fury and Joshua have suffered multiple losses in recent years, with Fury falling twice to Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua enduring four career defeats.
Hamed's comments could reshape public perception of the heavyweight division's hierarchy, potentially accelerating expectations placed on a 21-year-old fighter still early in his career. Such pronouncements may influence fan interest, broadcaster decisions, and future matchmaking, while also adding pressure on Itauma to deliver against Hrgovic. The comparison may further diminish the commercial appeal of a Fury-Joshua bout, as audiences could begin viewing that contest as a passing of the torch rather than a defining showdown.