Tony Bellew foresees big things in the future of Moses Itauma but also thinks some tempered expectations need to be there right now in terms of where he fits in with the absolute upper echelon at heavyweight. Speaking to Pundit Arena, Bellew discussed this and pointedly mentioned someone he thinks would be a good fight for Itauma next after his demolition job of Dillian Whyte recently.
Andy Ruiz is a former unified heavyweight champion who is widely known for his upset win over Anthony Joshua, and Bellew thinks Ruiz would be a perfect next step for someone like Moses Itauma. Itauma is one of the hottest and most discussed heavyweight prospects in the world right now. When discussing the machinations of the possible matchup between Ruiz and Itauma, Bellew said,
“Moses has got to go past six rounds. No one can be picking Moses against the top-level heavyweights if he hasn’t been past six rounds. I don’t doubt how good he is. I think he’s absolutely exceptional. But you will never know how good he is until he goes past six rounds. I thought Andy Ruiz would be the perfect fight for him. I think Andy Ruiz throws enough shots. He comes to win. He ain’t lying down for nobody. I think that would be a really good fight to make.”
Tony Bellew thinks Usyk and Itauma comparisons should be avoided
While Bellew seems impressed by Moses Itauma, the former opponent of Oleksandr Usyk thinks Itauma and Usyk comparisons should be avoided. These comparisons between Itauma and Oleksandr Usyk have been drawn by some in recent months. In terms of people discussing the surging contender Ituama in the same conversation as the Ukrainian champion, Tony Bellew stated,
“I know people will say that Itauma is a similar size to Oleksandr Usyk. But you’re talking about possibly one of the greatest boxers of this generation. You cannot compare Moses Itauma to Oleksandr Usyk. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to compare anyone to Oleksandr Usyk. It’s unbelievable what the boy’s done. He’s a once in a lifetime fighter. You won’t see it again for a long time.”
